Escape from Bannon County
by butterfly collective
Summary: C.J. gets amnesia and winds up in jail but after she and two other inmates break out, will Matt find them or will the bad guys find them first? This is a revisionist look at an episode from the third season.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I dug deep in the older fanfiction again and found this story to work on some more. The characters belong to the late great Spelling and I just borrowed them. I hope you enjoy it. It's in a couple parts.

* * *

The three of them sped away from the ranch house, in a stolen car. They had fled as soon as they had broken out without thinking about where they were going. All they wanted to do was put as many miles between them and the house as they could, in the brief window of time that they had to escape.

Rhonda looked behind her.

"Don't look back," Fran said, "We can only look ahead of us because once the state police get out there, they're going to come looking for us."

"Do you think the other girls got away?"

Fran shrugged.

"They had the same chance we did," she said, "I hope they took it."

"That was some party," Rhonda said in disgust, "can't say I'm unhappy to leave it."

"I can't say I'm thrilled to be in the same car as the two of you, but it's better than being back there," Fran said.

Rhonda made a face.

"I love you too."

The third woman just looked in silence at the road ahead and kept driving.

* * *

Matt Houston sat on his couch talking with the attractive blonde woman that he had met at a business conference. They had struck up a conversation after one of the seminars and then headed out for dinner, discussing their respective business interests. The woman, Shelli, ran a finance consulting firm in Beverly Hills and had seemed fascinated, listening to his stories about being a private investigator.

"Isn't it dangerous," she asked.

Matt didn't know how to answer her question in a few sentences. After all, everyone assumed that private investigators were always chasing some bad guy or being chased themselves when the truth was, a lot of the time, investigators like himself spent their time doing mundane and even boring tasks. Not that these jobs weren't as important as the profession's more exciting side but when he had told other women about the hours spent staking out places all night in yesterday's clothes, they seldom believed him.

Shelli ate up all his stories and looked like she wanted a crack at him. He studied her finely boned face and ash-blonde hair which reached her elegant shoulders and found himself attracted to her. So they took their mutual interest society back to the penthouse suite of his office building in Century City for further exploration. And so they were having a great time when suddenly his mind wandered.

One thought had nagged him all evening and that was that he really needed to check on C.J. who was currently on a road trip to a business meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She had nixed flying out there to take a deposition from a client, instead opting to travel the nearly 1,000 miles of desert in her Mercedes convertible with only a map to guide her. She told him that since the actual act of receiving a deposition would likely bore her silly, she needed some fun and relaxation on the way to prepare herself for such an arduous ordeal. So despite his misgivings about a woman, let alone his closest friend driving on her own through hostile terrain, he kissed her goodbye before she took off, waving at him as she left. But not before checking her trunk to make sure she carried enough emergency provisions to outfit a small town.

"You'll give me a call every night after you check in your hotel," he said, "and sooner if you have any problems."

She laughed at him.

"Oh Houston," she said, "It's just one week. I'll be fine."

"Then I'll call you," he said.

And since she had left town, he had called her each day and sure enough, she was safely tucked away in some hotel with stories to tell him about the nature spots she had visited that day. And then the day of the conference, he hadn't called her at all.

He had meant to do so but the conference ran over and Shelli had kept him captivated at the restaurant though he did squeeze in two attempts to call C.J. and they had remained there several hours. Now they sat alone in his suite without any disturbances. She was moving in for the kill and suddenly, a vision of C.J. wandering lost in the desert crossed his mind.

"Excuse me," he said, untangling himself from Shelli and pulling out his phone.

"What's going on," she said, flustered.

"I'm just going to call the hotel where C.J. was spending the night," he said, "It will only take a minute."

She put her chin in her hand.

"But you already did at the restaurant," she said, "twice."

"I just want to make sure she checked in," he said, "Something probably delayed her earlier."

"Maybe she took a scenic detour," Shelli said, "or she ran into some old friends."

Matt waited on the phone while the hotel clerk checked his registration log. He frowned when the man told him that she hadn't shown up yet. He clicked off his phone, concern filling him.

"What is it Matt," Shelli asked.

"C.J. never checked into the hotel," Matt said, "No one's seen or heard from her."

Shelli smiled and stroked his arm.

"I'm sure she's okay," she said, "She's an adult and can take care of herself. Maybe she's out having some fun."

"But she would have called if anything happened," Matt said, getting up off the couch.

"Matt, is she your girlfriend," Shelli said, "because if there is something between the two of you, I really would like to know before we go any further."

He relaxed a bit and joined her back on the couch.

"No, we're just close friends," he said, "and maybe you're right, maybe she's out having some late dinner before she checks in for the night."

* * *

The car stopped at a worn out motel just off the highway outside of Phoenix. The three woman parked the car and one of them got out of it.

"I'll go see if they have a room," the brunette woman said.

"All right Bunny," Fran said, "You go do that."

"You'd better stay outside so if the police come here later on, the clerk will only remember seeing one of us," Bunny said.

Fran raised her eyes up.

"That's good thinking," she said, "I think this is something you've done before."

Bunny shrugged.

"I don't remember," she said, "Maybe I did. Maybe I was some kind of career criminal."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't go that far," she said, "You don't seem the type."

Bunny almost asked Fran what type she was talking about but then decided to drop it. She tried to say as little as possible to Fran. Rhonda seemed cool, but Fran's attitude hadn't improved since Bunny had thwarted an attack by her and her friends in the shower room. She had experienced as much disbelief after she had grabbed Fran into a hold as the other woman had. Who knows, maybe in her forgotten life, she had been a police officer. She wondered if she would ever know the truth.

She left the other women and went inside the office where a young man sat in the chair watching television and looking bored. When he saw her, he sat up straight.

"Hi, do you and your guy want a room for a couple of hours?"

She looked confused.

"Excuse me," she said.

"You're bringing in a customer, right," he said, "Just give me an extra 50 spot and I'll look the other way."

Suddenly, she understood and her face flushed. She didn't know why it did because after all, just several hours ago, she had been wearing a skimpy outfit entertaining the head of the state parole board at a party. But that experience had left her more creeped out than anything else, which she found reassuring. Every time he had touched her, her skin crawled and she had to ground herself to keep from running. Until the moment of opportunity appeared for her to fight back. She looked at the clerk and saw something in his eyes that reminded her of Piser, Sheriff Butz and the rest of them. So she mentally counted the steps to the door and how many different spots on the clerk's body she had to hit to knock him down. Was this some kind of instinct or training she had received that made her do this. She sighed, she had no time for any attempted trips down the foggy banks of memory lane right now.

He kept staring at her. She looked up at him without blinking.

"Guy, there's no guy," she said, "It's just me."

The clerk became flustered.

"Then forget everything I just said. I run a reputable establishment," he muttered, then tried to change the subject, "What are you doing in Phoenix?"

Bunny already had her story prepared.

"I've been driving all day to visit the Grand Canyon and I don't think I'm going to make it tonight."

He smiled.

"It will still be there tomorrow," he said, "You really traveling alone?"

She nodded, waiting while he processed the paperwork.

"I can take care of myself," she said, "in case you're thinking about trying anything."

The tone in her voice made him take a step backward.

"I'm sure you can," he said.

"Do you need anything, like ID," she asked.

She didn't know what she would do if he asked for photo proof of her identity. They'd probably have to sleep in the car on some deserted rest stop or street if they couldn't find a motel that didn't require it.

"Oh that's okay, we don't ask for ID here," he said, "but we do want cash."

She nodded.

"That will be fine."

Bunny reached in her pocket and found some that she and the other women had lifted before leaving the burning building. She handed it to him, trying not to flinch when his fingers caressed hers.

"You're sure an attractive young woman to be out on your own," he said.

"And I'm not looking for any company," Bunny said, "just my room key."

She reached out her hand and he removed a key from a rack of them behind him and gave it to her without another word.

* * *

Later, she and the other two women sat on the double beds inside their drab motel room and counted the money they had stolen from the ranch.

"It's not bad considering we were on the run," Fran said, "but it's not going to last very long in this economy."

"So what are we going to do," Rhonda said, folding her arms, "rob a liquor store?"

Fran remained quiet, thinking as usual.

"That's an idea," she said.

"I was kidding," Rhonda said, "I think the last thing we should do is draw attention to ourselves."

Fran smirked.

"It's a little too late for that don't you think?"

"But we've got to keep below the radar Fran," Rhonda said, "or they'll find us fast and what do you think will happen to us when we're back in jail?"

Fran didn't answer. She knew.

"We're fugitives," Fran pointed out, "We're escapees from jail. It would be real easy for us to wind up dead while resisting capture as a mitigating circumstance?"

Rhonda sighed.

"We were being pimped by some crooked sheriff and some politicians for sexual favors," she said, "Wouldn't that factor into our escape?"

Fran looked up from the pile of money.

"Do you think they're really going to buy that there was a prostitution ring operating right under their noses," she said, "Besides most of the people in power in that town seem to be corrupt and in on it."

Rhonda nodded slowly.

"You got a point," she said, "We've got to have a plan about where we're going to go and how we're going to get there."

Bunny stood next to the window looking out. She ignored the conversation going on behind her and tried to focus her mind on what was missing, her life. But every time she tried to remember even basic things about herself including her name, she drew a blank. She did occasionally experience some brief flashes, visions of her old life but the moment she tried to grab onto them, they slipped away back where they came from. Several times that day, a man had flashed in front of her but she couldn't make out his face. Who was he? Was he out looking for her, or was he someone she had run away from? She turned away from the window. All this thinking gave her a headache.

"Are you with us or not," Fran asked.

Bunny looked at them, startled out of her reverie.

"I am," she said, "I'm trying to think about where we can go next. We can't stick around here waiting to be found."

"We've got to leave the state," Rhonda said, "We should have been out of here already."

Fran stood up and started pacing.

"I would have been better off if I'd just taken off without the two of you," she said.

"Oh come off it," Rhonda said, "Bunny saved both of our butts back there. If it weren't for her, we'd be dead."

Bunny just looked at them and sat on the corner of one of the beds putting her hands over her head.

"I would have made it out anyway," Fran said, "And how did Bunny lose that creep Piser?"

"I hit him on the head," Bunny said, simply, "I had to, to get away from him. He didn't follow me out of the room."

"Was he dead," Rhonda asked, softly.

Bunny struggled to remember. She saw him lying on the floor next to his bed, bleeding from a head wound.

"I didn't check to see if he was still breathing," she said, "but I didn't hit him that hard."

"What about Sheriff Butz," Rhonda asked, "I didn't see him anywhere. Did he just take off?"

"He's probably working with the State Police right to put a posse on our tail," Fran said, "and going after the other girls to save his own skin."

"I hope they all made it away safely," Bunny said, "but if they find them..."

"That's all the more reason for us to get out of here as soon as morning comes," Rhonda said.

* * *

After Matt had called the hotel several more times, he grew more worried about what had happened to C.J. The first couple of times when he had returned to picking up where he left off with Shelli, she was understanding. After the third phone call, she finally called him on it.

"Look, you're a nice guy and you're sexy as hell," she said, "but I can't go on like this. It's clear you have unresolved issues with your 'friend' and I don't want to be the third wheel while you sit around trying to figure it out."

Matt protested.

"She and I are just close friends," he said, "I'm just worried because she hasn't checked in to her hotel yet."

Shelli folded her arms.

"Has it occurred to you that maybe she's up in her room with some guy she met and she hasn't gotten around to checking in with you yet?"

That thought hadn't occurred to Matt and he looked at Shelli in surprise for bringing it up.

"I don't think she'd do that," he said, "She just broke up with a guy she thought she was going to marry."

Shelli was losing her patience.

"That's the perfect time to get it on with some other guy you've just met," she said, "when you've just been jilted."

He looked at her more closely.

"Is that what's happening here," he asked.

She didn't answer right away.

"Well no...maybe," she said, "but I really liked you. It's just not going to work. I should have known better to mix business with pleasure."

"Look I'm sorry," Matt said, "But I need to make sure that C.J. is safe before I do anything else."

She nodded.

"I understand," she said, getting up, "If you want to give me a call to try again, you have my number."

He walked her to the elevator and they said goodbye.

* * *

After Shelli had taken off, Matt had gone to his beach house and then called Chris to meet him at the office to help him. No problem, she said, I'll come right on over. Within an hour, she walked out of the elevator to join him and saw the look on his face that was always there when something had happened to his best friend.

"Thanks for coming so quickly," he told her.

She nodded.

"Have you heard anything?"

He shook his head and went to pour himself a glass of Scotch from his wet bar.

"No one has seen or heard from her," he said, "I'm going to make some calls to the state police. I have a friend who works there and see if they can find anything out."

"What do you want me to do," she said.

"Book me a flight out to Phoenix," he said, "That's the last place that we know she was."

Chris followed him into the living room.

"But it's the middle of the night," Chris said, "Are you sure you don't want to wait until morning?"

Matt turned to face her and his facial expression answered her question. She

"No," he said, having already packed his bags after Shelli had left, "I do want you to stay by the phone in case she calls."

Chris nodded, knowing that it would be a long night.

"I'll tell them to have a car waiting," Chris said, before he took his bags and went to his helicopter.

* * *

Bunny got out of bed first and went to take a shower. She closed her eyes and tried not to think too much as she washed away the dirt both visible and not of the past several days. While rinsing, she noted the laceration on her side. She touched it gingerly and noticed how red and sore it was. She had gotten injured while leading the others out of Piser's ranch, including a stint crawling on the ground beneath a barb wired had just felt a slight burning sensation at the time. Escape being the most important thing. She hadn't had time to clean it.

She heard a knock the bathroom door.

"Are you still in there," Fran said, "We got to get moving."

Bunny turned off the shower and grabbed a towel.

"I'm done," she said, "What's next?"

"Rhonda's getting us some breakfast food before we leave," Fran said, "We want to get out of the state as quickly as possible because for sure, we've drawn some heat."

"Why don't you turn on the TV and see what's on the news," Bunny suggested, "That will give us some clue about the attention our escape has attracted."

Fran did that before taking a shower. Bunny sat on the edge of the bed and looked at a female newscaster giving the weather report. Suddenly, the top of the television screen read, "Breaking News" and the station broke away to an ongoing news story. The image of a burning house and police and fire vehicles surrounding the property filled the screen and Bunny felt sick to her stomach. A male reporter filled the viewers in on more details about what had happened.

"The cause of the fire is believed to be arson. When fire fighters were able to finally enter the inferno, they discovered a male body in one of the bedrooms. The Coroner's office has just released the identity of that individual as Seymour Piser, 50, a member of the state correctional board. An autopsy is planned for today to pinpoint an exact cause of death. This is Brad Knudson, channel eight news signing off from Bannon County."

Bunny froze when she saw the familiar image of Piser on the screen. She didn't know why he was dead. The door opened and Rhonda came in, carrying several bags of fast food.

"I got a good deal…"

Her voice faded when she saw the television.

"Is that where we were," she asked, "and why's the house on fire?"

Bunny just stared at the television but finally nodded.

"Piser's dead," she said simply, "and they're saying that the sheriff had brought a bunch of female prisoners there for a special luncheon before they...we escaped."

Rhonda's eyes widened.

"Special luncheon? Benefactors," she said, "Who came up with that fairytale and is selling it?"

"The only people who count," Bunny said, "and we're not there to say otherwise as if that would matter."

"If we were, we'd be dead," Rhonda said, "I heard on the news at the restaurant that Carrie and Donna were found shot to death by the bus station in Phoenix."

Bunny put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh my god," she said, "They've already started it."

Rhonda paused.

"They still haven't said who did it," she said, "It could have been some other bad guys. The world's full of them."

Bunny shook her head.

"No, they're killing witnesses to their crimes," she said, "which means they'll come after us."

Rhonda nodded slowly.

Fran walked out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair.

"What's going on here," she asked when she saw their expressions.

Bunny just looked at her.

"We got to get the hell out of here," she said, "Now."

* * *

Matt's plane landed on time at Phoenix International and sure enough, the car waited for him in front of the terminal building. He drove around Phoenix for a while after phoning the state police to say that he had arrived in town and needed to meet with them. His friend, a sergeant there, said that a search for C.J. had reached a dead end, after he checked every police agency, hospital and morgue. Matt closed his eyes at the sound of the last word. He didn't even want to consider that possibility and pushed it out of his almost apologetically, the sergeant said that most of the agency's resources were focused on a murder and arson case that had just happened the previous day. Still, they would keep an eye out for any reports of a woman matching C.J.'s description.

Matt said he would keep in touch and headed on the highway, following the planned route that C.J. had mapped out for her road trip. He turned on the radio.

"…the fire which has been put out may have been set to mask the death of ranch owner and state correctional board member, Semour Piser who was found dead in one of the bedrooms of his estate. It's believed that up to a dozen female prisoners who were attending the special luncheon may have escaped. All of them are considered dangerous and potentially armed."

Matt shook his head. It sounded like all hell was breaking loose in Arizona today.

* * *

Bunny kept driving the car, spending most of her time on secondary streets to avoid the highways as long as she could. Both Fran and Rhonda listened nervously on the radio for more news about their escape and bits and pieces came in including that an autopsy would be conducted on Piser by the coroner's office.

"How could Piser be dead," Rhonda asked.

"He got what he deserved," Fran said, unflinchingly, "The guy was a creep. He's probably been running his little prostitution operation with Sheriff Butz for years."

Rhonda looked at Bunny, her eyes narrowed.

"Weren't you the last to see him," she asked.

Bunny kept her eyes focused on the road.

"I knocked him on the head," Bunny said, "I admit it, but not hard enough to kill him."

"Well maybe he couldn't get out of the fire," Rhonda said, "Because you hit him and knocked him out."

Bunny bit her lip. That could be true and what would that make her, a murderer? Maybe Piser's life hadn't been the first one she had taken. She tried to think back to what had been running through her mind when she had hit him but all she remembered was feeling fear enough so to take drastic measures. Wasn't that self-defense? But even so, shouldn't she feel remorse? So many questions and no answers about herself, with each day bringing more questions and only a few quick glimpses into her past.

"I just wanted to get away from him," Bunny said, "and we don't know how the fire even started. That must have happened after we left."

Fran shrugged.

"Maybe they set it to cover their tracks," she said, "So the police wouldn't know why we were really there."

"That's right," Bunny said, "We know Butz kept records in his office. Maybe Piser did too at his place."

"Like the list I found in your clothes," Fran sneered, "I still wonder if you were working with him, if you were a plant."

"I wasn't. I never met him before," Bunny said, "I was arrested along with Rhonda at a diner."

Rhonda nodded.

"How would you even know," Fran said, "You say you can't remember anything yet you claim you found that list in his desk drawer while he was out of the office."

"I don't know why I took that list," Bunny said, "It just felt like the thing to do."

"Yeah right," Fran said, turning to look out the window.

Bunny continued driving. She wasn't in the mood to deal with anymore of Fran's insinuations. All she wanted to do was to put as many miles between herself and Piser's ranch house as possible. That and to find out her real identity hoping she'd live long enough to solve that mystery.

"We need to figure out where we're going," Rhonda asked, "We could hit Vegas and hide out there."

Fran made a face.

"I think I'm wanted there."

The other women looked at her, brows raised. Fran shrugged in response.

"Nothing serious, I ran a scam at one of the casinos and the city doesn't forget or forgive for that."

"You'd been better off if you just killed someone in Vegas than tried to cheat the House," Rhonda noted.

"I'll remember that next time," Fran said.

"So if Vegas is out, where should we head to then," Bunny asked.

Both women gave it some serious thought.

"We need to ditch the car some place first," Fran said, "It's probably been reported as stolen by now."

Bunny nodded.

"I guess we'll have to get another one," she said.

"You mean steal it," Fran said, "Anyone here know how to hotwire a car."

"I could give it a try," Bunny said.

"Let's go find one," Fran said, "and this time not one that's going to attract so much attention."

* * *

Matt drove through some of the most desolate desert he had ever seen in his life. Hardly any signs of life existed except some cacti and tumbleweed bushes here and there. He passed through one small town after another and checked in with the police and hospitals, if there were any within the limits showing a photo of his best friend. Always, the people he talked to answered in the negative. No, a woman looking like C.J. hadn't been spotted or shown up anywhere in town. He wondered if she had just fallen off the face of the earth but his logical side told him that wasn't possible. But where could she had gone? And what had happened to her?

He passed a sign that said, "Welcome to Bannon County" and kept driving until he reached yet another small town that if you blinked, it would be in the rear view mirror. Suddenly, something caught his eye. He saw a burned out Mercedes convertible sitting in a lot with a bunch of other vehicles in similar shape. He quickly turned into the business and saw an old man sitting in a chair sipping a beer

"Hi, I am Matt Houston, a private investigator out of L.A.," he said, handing the man his business card, "I was driving by and I saw that car. It belongs to a friend of mine."

The man paused looking at the business card.

"Was this friend of yours a woman?"

Matt nodded and pulled out a photo of C.J., handing it to the man who looked at it and nodded.

"That's her," he said, handing the photo back.

"Have you seen her," he said, "Was she hurt?"

The man shrugged.

"There was no one with the car," he said, "She might have decided to hitchhike to the next town."

Matt put the photo away and asked the man to call him if he heard anything and then he took off again. He drove along the highway and then saw some smoke in the distance. He wondered if that was the fire at the ranch house that he had heard about on the news. He pulled off the highway and drove in the direction of the smoke to find out.

* * *

Bunny looked at the sign approaching them that said that they were heading into California. The other women noticed it too. They were riding in a sedan that they had lifted off a street near the Arizona and California border. It looked like it had been parked there a while and she didn't think anyone would miss it so C.J. hot wired it and they drove off. As C.J. looked in the rear view mirror at their former car, she wondered if she had been a car thief in her old life. Then she breathed a sigh of relief that they weren't breathing Arizona air anymore.

"We're in California, now," she said.

Rhonda also sighed in relief, looking out the window.

"God knows this isn't the prettiest part of California but it's great to be out of Arizona," she said.

The others agreed and they pulled into a diner to pick up a meal. They didn't think anyone would recognize them in the god-forsaken desert town so they parked the car and went inside the one small establishment. A middle-aged woman chewing gum handed them some faded menus after they sat in a booth. They looked at their dwindling money supply.

"We're going to need more cash," Fran said, finally.

"How are we going to get some," Rhonda said, "and where are we going to go. You know they're looking for us and it's not just the police."

Bunny nodded, remembering the news about two of the escaped prisoners already being found dead only hours after the escape. They didn't want witnesses witnesses just like they likely burned Piser's house down so that they wouldn't leave any evidence behind for the state police to find. Suddenly, she found herself thinking of the mountains and a nice place located next to a crystal-clear the man whose face still eluded her.

"I think I know where we can hide out," Bunny said, finally, "But it's a bit of a drive."

"We've got a full tank of gas," Fran grumbled, "thank goodness for small favors."

Rhonda looked at Bunny.

"So what are you thinking of," she asked.

Bunny paused.

"It's a small cabin in the mountains," she said, "It's pretty isolated and that will at least give us some time to think about what to do next."

Fran scoffed.

"How do you know about it," she said, suspicion in her eyes again, "Is it some kind of love nest for you and Piser?"

Bunny's eyes flashed.

"Don't you dare even say that or I'll knock you down again," she said, "I felt disgusted every time he touched me. I can still feel him."

Fran rolled her eyes, but she backed down.

"So how do you know about this place anyway," Rhonda asked, "Did you remember anything?"

Bunny thought about it, not knowing the answer to that question. She just knew that this cabin existed, she could picture it in her mind but how she knew about it remained lost with the rest of her memories.

"I don't know how I know," she said, finally, "I just do and I know that once we get there, we'll be safe."

* * *

Matt walked up to a couple of state police officers who were watching the activity of investigation and recovery going on around them while fire fighters put out the last of the smoldering embers where a ranch house once stood. One of them, a tall man with stripes, barked orders into a radio.

"Who are you," one of them asked as he approached.

He introduced himself and told them that he had a contact in the state police.

"I'm looking for a woman," he said, "She's been missing since at least yesterday."

They frowned and looked at each other.

"We're looking for a bunch of missing women," one of them said, "Only our group escaped from this ranch yesterday and are on the loose."

Matt looked around at the rubble, still trying to figure out exactly what had happened.

"Why were the women here and not in their cells," he asked.

"Semour Piser was hosting a special luncheon for them," he said, "to provide a change of surroundings for the women and this is how they rewarded him."

The police officer shook his head, disgusted.

Matt reached into his pocket.

"Listen I know you're very busy here, but I wonder if you've seen this woman before," he said, showing the men the photo.

They studied it. One of them reached for it to examine it closer. Matt thought he saw a flicker of recognition go through his eyes.

"She looks kind of familiar," the man said, "but I don't know if I've seen her."

Matt saw a stocky man with a beer belly dressed up as a county sheriff walk up to the state policemen.

"How much longer are you going to need me and my men here," the man asked, "We've got to get back to the jail and make sure the rest of our inmates haven't escaped."

One of the state policeman held up his hand.

"Now Sheriff Butz, we know this has taken a long time," he said, "but surely you can see how important it is for us to secure the crime scene and do a thorough investigation of this homicide and arson. We needed your men for perimeter detail."

Butz nodded then looked at Matt.

"Who are you," he asked, warily.

Matt disliked the man on sight but he introduced himself and showed him the photo of C.J. anyway and this time, he felt sure that someone here recognized her.

But Butz shook his head.

"Nope," he said, "Never saw her before in my life."

Matt studied the sheriff and knew that he had lied but why? How had his path crossed with C.J.'s? Did he know where she was now?

"Look, are you absolutely sure you've never seen her before," he said, "Her crashed vehicle was found within your jurisdiction and no one I've talked to has seenor heard from her since."

Butz shook his head again.

"I just told you I've never seen your lady friend before but you can file a missing person's report with my office," he said, "Now I've got work to do."

Matt watched him walk away, knowing that a lot of information walked away with him. But the odds of getting it out of him in this setting were poor at best. Then he saw his friend, Dave, walk up to talk with his men. The other men deferred to their commanding sergeant.

"Matt, what are you doing here," Dave asked.

"I just showed a photo of C.J. to that Sheriff Butz and I know he's seen here before," Matt said.

"But Butz denied it?"

Matt sighed.

"He said, he'd never seen here before but I know the man is lying," he said.

"How can you be so sure," Dave said.

"Because I just know it," Matt said, "I don't know why he just lied to me."

Dave pulled Matt aside.

"This is just between you and me," he said, "If you say anything about this to anyone, I'll deny it."'

Matt nodded.

"What have you got to tell me about Butz?"

"We know that he's dirty as they come," he said, "and not to be trusted."

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"I know that he recognized C.J.," he said, "I saw it on his face."

Dave scratched his face.

"We know there was something else going on here besides this luncheon," he said, "The problem is, most of the evidence probably was destroyed in the fire."

"What about the women who escaped," Matt asked.

"Two of them were found shot to death this morning," Dave said, "No witnesses."

"And the rest?"

"They're out there somewhere," Dave said, "Probably not waiting to be found by anyone."

"What about searching the jail facility for more clues?"

"We need a warrant to do that and we're not going to find a judge to sign one in these parts," Dave said, "The truth is that the feds have been itching to investigate the whole county for corruption for years. They just don't have a smoking gun to justify a full-scale investigation."

Matt looked at what remained of the house thoughtfully.

"You might have one now," he said, "And I'll bet that Sheriff Butz is in the middle of it."

"The problem is that Semour Piser died in the fire," he said, "and this was taking place on his ranch and the death of such a prominent individual at the state level has to take priority."

"What's the cause of death," Matt asked.

"It's not public but he had received a blow on the head which probably knocked him out," Dave said, "He probably wasn't conscious when the fire broke out."

"Any soot in his lungs?"

"We won't know until they do the full autopsy later today," Dave said, "There's a lot of unanswered questions here."

Matt realized that too, the least of which was where the hell was C.J. and why had Butz lied about recognizing her? And more importantly, did she have any connection to what had happened at Piser's ranch?

* * *

Bunny blinked her eyes, as a wave of dizziness hit her. She tried to focus on the road. They had seen a group of highway patrol cars, sirens piercing driving down the opposite side of the highway so they had gotten off to hit the secondary roads again.

"Are we almost there," Rhonda asked, blinking her eyes.

"I think so," Bunny said, focusing on the road.

"You think so," Fran said, "You either know or you don't."

"It's just like I said," Bunny said, "I think we're getting closer. "

"Oh that's reassuring," Fran said.

Bunny turned around to look at her.

"You can get out if you like," she said, "but I'm not going to end up like those poor women they found this morning."

Fran folded her arms.

"Who are you really," she asked, "It's not strange to meet someone who wants to forget their past but it's definitely so with someone who claims not to remember who they are."

Bunny set her jaw.

"I told you that I don't know," she said, "All I remember is waking up next to a burning car and that's it."

"How do we know you're not on the FBI's Most Wanted list already?"

Not a unreasonable question, Bunny thought, she didn't know what kind of person she was or what kind of life she had lived up to now. She could be a heartless killer. After all she apparently had taken a life within the only 48 hours she could remember. She had felt little remorse when she had struck Piser, just doing what she had to do to get away from him. Anyone would have done the same thing under the circumstances, wouldn't they?

"Hey lay off on Bunny, won't you," Rhonda said, "She told you she doesn't remember anything."

Bunny listened to them, focusing on the road ahead.

* * *

Matt drove to the Bannon County Detention Center for Women to check it out. He parked his car when he came upon the facility and looked around. Several women milled outside but other than that, it appeared quiet. He walked into the corridor and ran smack into Butz who apparently had arrived back there recently from his stint at the crime scene.

"Excuse me," Matt said, "I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me."

Butz looked at him and shook his head immediately.

"I've got a lot of work to do," he said, "The State Police kept me and my deputies at the crime scene until they released us about an hour ago."

Matt nodded.

"Well that's all well and good," he said, "But I wanted to talk to you about C.J. Parsons and file that missing person's report like you suggested."

"You can do that at the front desk," Butz said, starting to walk away.

"I'd rather talk about her and her whereabouts with you, Sheriff," Matt said.

"What about her," Butz said, "I told you I had never seen her before."

Matt stroked his jaw.

"Well, that's the part that confuses me," he said, "Because when you looked at her picture, you seemed to recognize her."

"She's an attractive woman," Butz said, "Perhaps that's what I saw."

Matt followed Butz into his office. Butz turned around to face him and Matt wondered if he would call his deputies to escort him out. Instead, he sat down at his desk.

"I told you that I hadn't seen her before," Butz said.

"Did you or the state police distribute any photos of the ladies who escaped from the ranch house," Matt asked, "so that people who saw them could contact the authorities."

Butz just looked at him.

"We're working on that," he said, "Gathering all that information together."

A deputy poked his head in the office.

"There's a guy who wants to speak with you a moment, Sheriff" he said.

Butz looked at Matt.

"Excuse me, but I have business to attend to outside," he said.

* * *

The sheriff walked out of his office, leaving Matt alone. Matt took advantage of that opportunity and got up to look around the office a bit, trying to find something, anything incriminating on the sheriff or anything that might lead him to C.J.

Butz glowered when he met with one of his contacts in the hallway.

"What are you doing here," he said, "I have an out of town private investigator nosing around here."

"That's your problem," the man said, "You've got to destroy any evidence you have here before the state police get a warrant and sends a team out here to turn this place upside down."

"They can't do that," Butz said.

"They will do it," the man said, "in a matter of hours. Our state contacts aren't going to be enough to stop them this time."

"I've got to get rid of this Matt Houston first," Butz said, "He's looking for C.J. Parsons."

"Who's she," the man asked.

"She was the woman that came in the other day on solicitation charges who attracted Piser's attention," Butz said, "This man says that she's a lawyer who works with him."

"And she was one of your girls, wasn't she?"

Butz sighed.

"Do you think I could pass up an opportunity like that," he said, "She doesn't remember anything about where she came from, not even her name. Besides, Piser took a liking to her and I couldn't refuse him."

The man's looked at Butz and shook his head.

"Do you think she escaped with the others?"

"Of course she did," Butz said, "She's not hanging around here is she?"

The man folded his arms and sighed.

"Our whole operation risks exposure which will mess up a lot of political careers at the capitol," the man said, "You've got to clean up this mess. You take care of it on your end and some men I hired will take care of our other remaining problem."

"The women," Butz guessed.

The man nodded.

Butz swallowed nervously.

"The men who killed those two ladies at the bus station, that was your people?"

The man looked at him dismissively.

"You don't need to know about that," he said, "You and Piser screwed up and now it's up to me to direct a cleanup. You just make sure that the state police don't find anything when they come here."

"Yes sir," Butz answered, thinking of all the work he had ahead of him.

He knew it would take the state police at least several hours to get a judge to sign a search warrant of the facility but he still had to get busy destroying and shredding evidence. But first he had a inquisitive and persistent investigator to get rid of in his office.

* * *

Matt looked around the office, his eyes all over the cramped and disorganized room. He knew he only had a few minutes before Butz came back so he had to make the best use of them. He tried to open the drawers but found most of them locked. Still, the top one swung open and he pulled out some photographs of women scantily dressed in outfits getting cozy with older men, smiles frozen on their faces. He didn't see C.J. among them. He grabbed several of them and put them in his case. Then he walked around the room, right next to a sofa which was across from Butz desk. His eyes narrowed as he saw a glint of something shiny nestled between the cushions. He pulled it out gently and discovered it was a necklace with a broken clasp. Dangling it carefully from his fingers, he looked it over and his eyes shot up as he realized it looked an awful lot like the necklace he had given C.J. for her birthday. He turned it over and read a familiar inscription on its back, one that he had told the jeweler to inscribe when he had the necklace custom made. He stood examining it for a long moment, understanding it was his one link to C.J. and he knew it was proof positive that Butz had lied to him.

With that knowledge, Matt heard the door knob suddenly open and he walked back to where he had been sitting, tucking the necklace in his hand. Butz entered the room and smiled at Matt. After he saw the expression that Matt gave him in return, Butz smile fell right off of his face.

"What are you looking at," he demanded.

Matt opened his hand and Butz's eyes fell on the necklace.

"Where'd you find that," Butz asked, his eyes flittering around his office.

"It belongs to a certain female friend of mine who is now missing," Matt said, "and I have a strong feeling that you've been lying to me."

"That necklace proves nothing," Butz said, "I've never seen it before."

Matt stood up.

"Where is C.J.," he asked, "I'm going to ask you once nicely then things are going to get a bit rough."

"I said…I have never seen your girlfriend before," Butz said, stubbornly.

Matt saw the sheriff hide his hands behind his desk and before Butz had the chance, he pulled out his own gun and aimed it straight at the sheriff.

"Now are you going to tell me where she is," Matt said.

"You can't aim a gun at a law enforcement officer," Butz said, "I'll have you arrested and thrown in jail."

Matt pressed the trigger.

"Where is she," he said, "This is your last chance to tell me."

"If you'll kill me," Butz said, "They'll give you the death penalty."

"Not after they're done investigating you and whatever dirty operation you have been conducting out of your jail and at that ranch," Matt said, "If I shoot you, it will save the state the expense of a complicated and very ugly trial."

Butz looked up at Matt who didn't waver in aiming his gun directly at the sheriff's head. Butz thought quickly, while looking for an escape route. Maybe it was time to find a way to make a deal with the state police and avoid a prison sentence. Ex-law enforcement officers didn't last long behind bars living with all the people they helped put there and he suddenly felt his world crashing down around him. Still, he had one card left in his deck to play.

"If you shoot me, you'll never know where she is," Butz said, "and the hit men that my boss sent out will find her before you do."

* * *

Bunny pulled up the car next to the cabin and parked it. She and the other women got out to look at it.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Rhonda said, looking around.

Fran shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not bad," she said, "what's it look like inside."

Bunny smiled.

"I guess we'll find out."

"We don't have a key," Fran said, "Are we going to break in?"

Bunny followed her instincts, looking around the front of the cabin. She found a row of potted plants with dried foliage in them. She tipped them over, looking for a key but not finding anything. Wrinkling her brow, she looked again and found one plant up above the others. She stepped up on her toes, flinching at the sudden pain she felt in her side and checked that pot. She was surprised to find a key under there. How did she know where to look? She didn't give it much thought but chalked it to being another mystery about her past life that might never be solved.

She tried the key in the door and sure enough it worked. The three of them walked inside closing the door behind them. They walked into a spacious living room with a hardwood floor and a stone fireplace. There were several bedrooms and a nice kitchen, with a pantry that was adjacent to a sun room. Immediately without knowing why, Bunny felt that she had come home, or at least to some place familiar but why, remained tantalizingly out of reach.

"This is some cabin," Rhonda said, "The owner must have some serious money."

Bunny shrugged, taking her coat off and laying it on the sofa. Fran came back from inspecting the kitchen.

"There's some canned goods in the cupboard but not much in the frig," she said, "We're going to need to get some food if we're going to hide out here for a while."

"There's a small market a mile or so up the road, I think" Bunny said, "They should have a good selection of food."

"How much money do we have left," Fran said.

"Not much," Bunny said, "so just get some basic staples to start with that will last a while."

Fran nodded.

"Should we go then," she said.

Bunny thought about joining them, but suddenly she didn't feel very well and the wound on her side needed some tending. Surely, there must be a first aid kit in the cabin some place.

"I'll stay here," she said, "You go."

So they went and Bunny went to find the kit. She stopped to look at the paintings on the walls, in the hallway. She wondered if she had spent any time in the cabin and then realized she must have but did it belong to her, or someone she knew? Why did she feel so comfortable time for the first time since her world had been turned upside down?

* * *

Matt aimed the gun at Butz and didn't waver even as Butz tried to dangle information about C.J. in front of him to get him to holster it. Matt knew that deep inside Butz lived a coward.

"You're running out of time to tell me where she is," Matt said, his finger pressed against the trigger, "Unless you start talking right now."

"If you shoot me, you'll never know," he said, "and if those men find her, she is dead anyway."

"Whose men," Matt asked.

"The ones who work for the guy that run this operation," Butz said, "These are some very powerful players."

"Your friends at the state Capitol," Matt guessed, "The ones who have you pimping female inmates for their enjoyment is my guess."

Butz nodded grudgingly.

"You're quick," he said, "It was set up to reward these politicians and power brokers for their hard work."

"And to make you and Piser a pile of money and political favors," Matt finished, "Who's the kingpin behind all this?"

Suddenly, Butz pushed his desk against Matt, knocking him down. Matt fought to hold onto his gun as he fell on the floor. He thought Butz might come after him but instead, he simply took off out the door and down the corridor running as fast as his portly body could carry him. Matt sighed and sprung to his feet, taking off after him but the sheriff had gotten a head start. By the time Matt reached the front entrance, a squad car had pulled in front and Butz had jumped into it barking orders at the surprised deputy to take off. Matt stood and watched the car speed away and then went to call Dave.

* * *

Bunny cleaned up her wound the best she could with the rudimentary first aid kit she had discovered in the pantry. She wondered if it had gotten infected but all she could do at this point after cleaning it was to put some antibiotic ointment on and slap a bandage over it. She did that and then put on her jacket because it felt chilly again.

She went to the bathroom to wash her face before sitting back down on a couch in the living room. She felt marveled at how she felt comfortable in the cabin the minute she had stepped into it. A wave of happiness had swept through her after she crossed the threshold, but still no memories. Still, she had known about the cabin before actually seeing it, had found it without so much as a trail of bread crumbs and she knew that the times she spent inside it had been joyful ones even if she couldn't remember more than that. Somehow she didn't think she had been alone either during the times she had spent there. Who had she been with? She envisioned the man again, but she couldn't see his face and she found herself desperately wanting to know who he was. But she realized, she could only push her mind so far and what she received in response were only flickers of what might be memories but might also be wishful thinking.

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Rhonda and Fran carrying some bags of groceries. They went to the kitchen and unloaded them.

"We stuck to basics like you said," Fran said, "but we got some extras too."

Rhonda brightened.

"Some steaks, potatoes and grape juice," she said.

Bunny's eyes narrowed as she picked it up the bottle.

"We couldn't buy liquor," Fran said, "We don't have our fake IDs yet. That's going to have to be our next order of business after we figure out where to get more money."

Rhonda looked around the place.

"Of course, we could hock some of the stuff here," she said, "and probably get a pretty penny for it."

Bunny shook her head.

"No, we shouldn't touch this stuff," she said, "It belongs to someone."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"But you don't even know who that is, do you?"

Bunny looked down.

"No I don't," she said, "But I feel like he's a nice guy and I don't want to rip him off."

Rhonda's eyes widened.

"Oh a guy," she said, "That sounds promising. What does he look like?"

Bunny frowned.

"I don't know," she said.

Fran shook her head and walked over to the back door to look outside.

"I see a barbecue," she said, "Let's cook the steak and potatoes out there."

Rhonda smiled.

"That will be great," she said, "I'll make a salad. What about you Bunny?"

Bunny shook her head.

"I'm not feeling very hungry," she said, "but I'll help with the steaks."

* * *

Matt hit the road again after calling Dave and explaining what had happened. Dave said he would put an APB out on Butz as a person of interest to his department but admitted it might not be tough to find him but tougher to find probable cause to bring him in.

"That's all I can promise you," Dave said, "the rest is going to take a lot more work."

"Thanks," Matt said.

"Where are you heading," Dave said.

"Back to the hotel," Matt said, "I've got to check in with the office for messages and I'll pick up the search again tomorrow."

"We'll see what we can dig up on any professionals coming into the state to do a job for Butz or whoever he's working with," Dave said, "But if the murders of those two women found today weren't random, then they're probably already in the area."

"And they're probably looking for the other women who escaped," Matt said, soberly.

"So now you're pretty sure that C.J. is in that group?"

"Her necklace was in Butz' office," Matt said, "The question is, what was she doing involved with these people?"

"You can ask her that when you find her," Dave said, "There has to be some good explanation."

"I know," Matt said, "I just can't think what it could possibly be but I know here and if she did get involved, it was against her will."

* * *

After they ate their dinner, they remained on the deck looking out at the lines of trees and listening to the noises of animals coming out at night. They poured the remaining Scotch that they had discovered in a cabinet into their glasses. For the first time since they escaped, they began to relax a little bit.

"It's nice out here," Rhonda said, "I've always loved the mountains."

"Not me," Fran said, "I'm a city girl."

"What about you Bunny?"

She looked at them suddenly.

"I don't know," she said, "I feel comfortable and safe here but I don't know why."

Rhonda took a sip of her Scotch.

"You still can't remember anything," she asked.

Bunny shook her head.

"Just when I think an image is coming to my mind close enough to grab it, it fades," she said.

"It'll come back," Rhonda said, "It always does whether you like it or not."

"I hope so," Bunny said, "I feel like I'm living someone else's life. Even if there's bad, it's got to be better than not knowing."

Fran scoffed.

"Don't be too sure about that," she said.

"I want my life back," Bunny said firmly.

"It still is your life," she said, "whether you remember any past one or not. Just take one day at a time like I do."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"All right, what was your life like before you got caught up with Butz," she asked, "was it all that great?"

Fran paused and took a sip of her drink.

"One bum rap after another," she said, "since I was a little girl."

"Yeah right," Rhonda said, "What did your parents do, throw you out?"

Fran looked up, a flicker of vulnerability showing up in her face.

"Actually they did," she said, "but that was a relief because they used to beat me all the time."

Bunny studied Fran and saw pain there for the first time.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," she said, "It must have been awful."

Fran's eyes turned hard again.

"How would you know," she said, "You have no experiences to compare it with."

Bunny remained silent.

"I do know what it's like to be abused by men," she said, "It didn't take me long to learn that."

Fran laughed derisively.

"Welcome to the real world," she said.

"Maybe not all people are like that," Bunny said, "if we give them a chance."

"Well, my motto is to stick it to them before they do it to you," she said, "and it's worked pretty well."

Rhonda laughed.

"My motto is not to get married again to another loser who raids my bank account and gets my car repossessed," she said.

"And say away from men altogether," Fran finished.

Bunny watched the two of them, knowing that their difficult lives had led them to where they were today but what had happened in her life? Was her life story similar to those of the other two women? She felt a chill pass through her at the thought. But she couldn't argue with their statements about men because she had yet to encounter a nice one during the few days of her life that she remembered. They had all viewed women as commodities to be bought, sold, used and abused. Was that the kind of world women lived in? And if so, what hope was there of any kind of life?

Fran turned to look at Bunny, her dark eyes unblinking.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe your life is so horrible that not remembering it might be a blessing," she said.

Bunny's heart sank at those words. She knew that Fran could be right. Still, wasn't it better knowing the truth than being left in some darkness void of memories? Most of the time Bunny felt like she sat in the bottom of a dark pit, with the only light a faint glimmer from the entrance way up above her.

"So what do you think of the few days that you do remember, Bunny," Fran asked.

Bunny just stroked the rim of her glass.

"Ask me in a few days," she responded before finishing the last of her Scotch.

* * *

Matt called in to the office and Chris told him that she hadn't heard from C.J. or anyone else about her whereabouts. He told Chris what he had discovered in Bannon County and that he might be staying there another day or so.

"Why would she be caught up with a group of female inmates," Chris had asked.

"I don't know," he answered, "Hopefully when I find her, I'll have the answers."

He ordered in and then turned in, wanting to get up at the crack of dawn to resume his search. Hopefully, the upcoming day would provide him with the opportunity to at least be closer to finding her before the wrong people did. He knew that she was resourceful enough to hide herself well if that was her objective but he also knew that it would only be a matter of time before the men who were pursuing the escaped women would find them. And with two of the women dead so far, that didn't bode very well for the rest of them. He had to find C.J. before they did, before it was too late. Visions of all the things that could have happened to her plagued his dreams.

* * *

Bunny snuggled on the couch, pulling a comforter closer around her. She felt chilled and curled up beneath it to try to get warm. The nights were cool in the mountains even during the summer but they didn't dare use the fireplace for fear of attracting attention. She had drifted off to sleep but it proved fitful. Visions of Piser and Butz kept filling her mind each time she managed to nod off. She knew that they were safe in the cabin at least for now but that eventually either the police or Butz' men would find them. And she didn't know which was worse. All she knew was that she didn't want to find out.

* * *

Matt sat on the edge of his bed and ate an omelet that he had ordered through room service, while thinking about his plans for the day. He knew now that Butz was dirty and had been running some illicit prostitution ring with Piser who had been found dead inside his burning house. Some other powerful players were involved and that a massive and ruthless cleanup was being conducted to cover up the illegal business. Two women were already dead. Would more of those who escaped be joining them by sundown? Would he find C.J. in time so she could avoid that fate if she had gotten tangled up with this criminal operation?

He still had no leads on where she. had gone if she had been one of the women fleeing from the ranch. The task of locating her would be daunting, like looking for a needle in a haystack. She could have fled in any one of a number of directions which would lead to every corner of the United States. Assuming of course, she still remained inside the country.

He started to pick up his things to leave the room, and then stopped by the phone. He needed to call Chris to see if any details had developed on her end.

"Hi Chris, this is Matt, have you heard anything," he asked.

"C.J. still hasn't called and no one's called about her," she said, "I think it's a long shot that I'll hear anything."

"I know Chris," he said, "But we need to keep all our options open in case she does call there."

"Okay," she said, "Oh, by the way, I did get one phone call but I don't think it's related."

"What was it," Matt asked, looking at his watch.

"A man called," Chris said, "I think it was Dr. Walker."

"Hmm, he owns the cabin closest to mine in the mountains," Matt said, thoughtfully.

"He said that he heard some noises coming from your place last night and that there was a car parked in front of it," Chris said, "He just called to check if you had some friends staying up there."

Matt wrinkled his forehead.

"No I don't," he said, "Maybe some kids found it and crashed there."

"Do you want me to send someone to check or call the local police?"

Matt thought about it. He wasn't sure why but a feeling crossed his mind that perhaps this was something he needed to deal with himself. Logically, he didn't feel like he could afford to take a side trip from where he was now, but a feeling nudged his gut that this was what he needed to do. And he never ignored his gut feelings.

"No, I'd better deal with it," he said, "before they trash the place. I'll tell you what. I'll fly back to L.A. today and check it out myself. I think I can leave the search out here for one day."

"Are you sure," Chris said, "the police…"

"I'll handle it," Matt said, "and the state police will handle its investigation here."

"Anything else," Chris asked.

"No thanks, I'm on my way," he said, hanging up the phone.

* * *

They all felt a bit hung over from the Scotch the next morning, but Bunny felt even worse. She had a throbbing headache and felt warm. When she stepped out of the shower, chills hit her suddenly and she shivered, reaching for a robe. What a time to come down with something, she thought. She changed into some clothes she found in the closet of one of the bedrooms and found some jeans that nearly fit along with a long-sleeved shirt that had "Harvard" printed on the front of it.

The other women laughed when they saw it.

"You don't exactly look like the Ivy League type," Fran mocked, "Let alone like anyone who's ever picked up a book."

"It's comfortable and it fits," Bunny said, "that's what matters. I've been wearing those other clothes for two days."

Fran shook her head.

"Still, we were whores two days ago," she said, "and wearing a shirt from a fancy smancy college isn't going to change that."

"Do you have to say that word," Rhonda said, "It's not like we had a choice."

"This time," Fran said, "But what about all the other times?"

Rhonda put her hands on her hips.

"I didn't do guys," she said, "at least not without ripping them off first."

Fran looked at Bunny.

"What about you," she said, "After all, that Piser guy took quite a shine to you before you knocked him out."

"I don't know," was all Bunny could say.

She sat down because her head was spinning and thought about what Fran had said, knowing she was probably right. The woman who this shirt belonged to was probably came from a much different world, hell probably a different universe than the three of them.

"So what are we going to do today," Fran said.

"We should lie low for a while," Bunny said, "There's no way for the cops or Buntz' men to track us here."

Rhonda nodded.

"That might be true," she said, "But we can't stay here forever so we've got to have a plan."

Fran shook her head.

"I've got a plan," she said, "and that's to head off on my own and try to get out of the country."

"How are you going to do that," Rhonda asked, "Trade in on your good looks?"

"I'll find a way," Fran said, "I'm sure as hell not going to wind up back in jail or dead."

"I think that's something we can all agree on," Bunny said, "So we've got to spend the next couple of days coming up with a plan that will save our necks and then put it into action."

Rhonda nodded.

"I'm with you," she said, "and Fran, if you go off on your own, you might just get away but they might kill you too."

Fran looked at her hands, not being able to come up with an argument against that. She decided to stay with the other women a little while longer.

"Okay, count me in," she said, finally.

* * *

Matt started driving up the mountain towards his cabin. He had called David before leaving Phoenix and told him about his conversation with Butz. The sergeant responded by saying they had put an APB out on the county sheriff but that he had eluded them. Dave also told him that the autopsy had shown that Piser had been dead before the fire had started but that the body was in such bad condition, it might be a while to determine a cause of death.

He thought about what he had learned in Arizona as he drove up the windy road, through groves of trees to one of his favorite spots in the world. The perfect getaway from the hectic world that he lived in most of the time. Matt thought the disturbance his neighbor had called him about were probably kids using his cabin to hang out but something pulled at his gut and that's what caused him to drop everything in his search for C.J. and come here.

He pulled up slowly in front of the cabin and saw the sedan parked in front. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the Arizona plates and he knew what he would find inside his cabin. He walked up to the door and unlocked it slowly with his key. He opened the door slowly and he saw them right away. Three women sitting in his living room having a conversation. Two of them he had never seen before but the one who wore the Harvard sweat shirt he had known since they were both kids.

The women turned their heads up to look at him, startled. Too surprised at his intrusion to move, as he approached them. They all looked at each other, watching any possible escape route being cut off.

"Must be the owner," Rhonda mumbled.

Fran rolled her eyes.

"You think?"

But despite his surprise at finding out that the intruders in his cabin were three women, he remained focused on one of them.

"C.J., what are you doing here," Matt asked.

He thought of all the different responses to that question that she could give him but what followed didn't even place on his list.

Bunny just looked at him, a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Who the hell are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two of that older fanfiction that I found in the garage. I hope you enjoy it, that it makes sense and thanks for reading!

* * *

Matt stared at her in confusion for the longest time, surprised at what his best friend has just said. She looked back at him and through him, as if she were searching for an escape route along with the other two women who were strangers to him. He realized that he didn't leave them much of one by blocking the door but he needed some answers. All three of them saw that one of his hands rested on his waist probably on top of a weapon that he could pull out at any moment and fire at them. After all, it hadn't been a good day to break out of the Bannon County prostitution ring, with at least two of them already dead. How did they know they hadn't fallen into another trap?

C.J. just continued to look at him, without blinking. Still, she stood poised on her toes, ready to run in a split second. She looked sideways at the other two women who shared her posture. Matt watched all this and tried to figure out a way to reach her. All while looking them all over to make sure they weren't armed with any surprises. As they poised to move, he had to say something before they bolted for escape.

"C.J., it's me Matt," he said, "Matt Houston."

Now she looked at him warily, still poised to run with her hands by her sides. She tried to place his face somewhere in her memories but any possible match to anyone she had known in her past still eluded her. Was he a friend or a foe? Would she soon find out, in enough time to know whether or not to run far away? Still, she saw something in his brown eyes that touched her. Something there which caused her to relax a tiny bit.

"Houston?"

He nodded his head as if her repetition of the word had any real meaning to her. Still, she remained unsure and kept her distance.

He nodded, watching her face change and her eyes following his own.

"Yeah, it's me."

She wrinkled her brow, trying even harder to concentrate on whether or not she knew him. The other two women grew restless from where they now stood but C.J. found herself standing still and searching her memories which still remained locked up behind some impenetrable shield.

Then the questions came from her lips, one after another. She watched him very carefully to see what his answers would be.

"Is that where you're from," she asked.

He looked puzzled, and then it dawned on him how she had read his answer.

"Yeah," he said, "I was born and raised there. You lived there too."

She shook her head, rejecting anything she didn't know.

"I don't remember."

"But we grew up together," he continued, past her uncertainty.

"How do you know where I came from," she said, "and who's this C.J.?"

His comments confused her more than anything else, except for his confidence that he knew his answers to her questions about herself were right. That certainty in his tone of voice flooded her mind right now along with more questions. Why was he calling her by some name she didn't recognize with such authority as if he was certain about who she was and that he had known her for a long time. She found that unnerving and part of her wanted to run away. But her feet refused to move.

He looked at her, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Fran looked at C.J. sideways.

"Is he a friend of yours," she asked.

C.J. looked at Matt, for a moment, wondering, and then shrugged.

"I don't know who he is," she said, "I don't ever think I've seen him before."

"He called you by a name," Rhonda said, "He seems to know you."

"And you knew where to find this place," Fran said, folding her arms, "How did you know?"

C.J. looked between the two women and then at Matt feeling suddenly trapped between the three of them.

"I don't know how I got us here," she said, "and I don't know who this man is. Maybe we should just get out of here and try to find another place before they find us."

Matt's brows furrowed at her words, as he tried to piece together what was going on but he knew at this rate, it would be very difficult. Three women coming from three different places talking at once.

"Yeah, he's probably already called the police on us," Rhonda said.

Fran's eyes flashed.

"Damn," she said, "I'm not standing around here waiting for them to come and get us."

Matt finally put his hands up.

"Now hold on a minute," he said, "I haven't called the police and I'm not going to if you're straight with me."

Fran scowled at him.

"Why should we trust you," she said, "You could have already called them."

"If I did, they'd be here by now," Matt said, "So it's pretty clear that I didn't and besides breaking into my cabin, you haven't given me any reason yet why I should."

Fran sighed, folding her arms.

"You might as well call them," she said, "Better them than…"

"Sheriff Butz' and his men," Matt finished.

Even Fran couldn't hide her shock.

"How'd you know about that," she said.

"Because I just came from out there in Bannon County, Arizona and saw the mess out there," Matt said, "I was out looking for…her."

C.J. looked up at him frowning.

"Why were you looking for me," She asked.

He studied the confusion and suspicion mixed with a few other things on her face.

"Because you're my friend, C.J.," he said, "I got worried when you didn't return my calls."

"What was I doing," she asked despite herself drawn by the warmth in his voice.

"You were on your way to Santa Fe on a business trip," he said, "You crashed your car several days ago."

Rhonda looked at C.J.

"Maybe that's why you can't remember anything," she said, "You just wandered into the bar and you did look pretty banged up."

C.J. struggled to think.

"Yeah, I remember walking down the road all day in the hot sun," she said, "until I came to the bar where I met you..."

"And that asshole of a bartender who turned us in to Butz," Rhonda said.

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"You don't recall anything at all before the accident," he said.

C.J. shook her head.

"Just bits and pieces of anything more than a few days ago," she said, "Not much else."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"Not that I haven't enjoyed this trip down memory lane," she said, "but we've got to make a decision here about what to do, where we're going to go."

C.J. sank on the couch again.

"I just want to rest up a little bit," she said.

Rhonda sat next to her, noticing that her face appeared flushed.

"Are you feeling all right hon," she said.

C.J. looked up and rubbed her pounding headache and noticed that she had broken out into a sweat.

Rhonda looked up at Fran.

"I think she's feeling sick," she said.

Fran wasn't moved.

"She's probably just tired," she said, "Hell, we all are, being on the run for a couple of days from the jail and eating crappy roadside food."

Matt walked over to where C.J. sat on the couch, with Rhonda.

"What's the matter," he said.

C.J. shrugged.

"I'm just tired like Fran said," she said, "A few moments of rest and I'll…we'll be out of your way."

Matt looked at them, knowing he had to think quickly to keep her from leaving and disappearing again.

"Look, why don't you at least stay the night," he said, "You'll be safe here and in the meantime, you can come up with a better thought out plan on what to do tomorrow."

Fran looked at him warily.

"Why do you care whether or not we come up with a plan?"

Matt sat on the chair and stretched his legs out.

"Because if you leave here without one, you won't last very long against either the cops or Bunz' men," Matt said, "And I don't know you two ladies but I care about this one very much and I'm not about to let anything happen to her."

C.J. shook her head.

"I'm staying with Rhonda and Fran," she said, "but I think we could stay overnight. It's not likely that anyone who's looking for us is going to come out this way so that's perfect for us."

Rhonda agreed.

"Come on Fran," she said, "Some extra time spent under their radar shouldn't hurt."

Fran glared at Matt.

"That's if you trust that he's not going to have the police come out and pick up while we're asleep," she said.

"I think if he was going to turn us in Fran, he would have done so already," Rhonda argued.

C.J. nodded.

"Okay, we're going to stay here, just for the night," she said, "and we'll head out tomorrow."

Matt smiled and hid the relief he felt inside at their decision.

"Now that's decided," he said, "I'll start some dinner in the kitchen. How does some steaks suit you?"

The three women looked at each other and smiled, watching him walk to the kitchen.

"You know one of us is going to have to pay him," Fran said.

"We don't have much money left," Rhonda said, "Besides he looks loaded."

C.J. looked at her hands.

"That's not what Fran meant," she said.

Rhonda put her hands on her hips.

"Somehow he doesn't come off as someone looking for some action in return," she said.

"All men are like that," C.J. said.

"Oh come off of it," Rhonda said, "Okay most of them are but your expertise on the male gender comes from what two days in Bannon County?"

C.J. stared back at her.

"I think that's enough," she said, "I've yet to meet or come across a man who's not wanted a woman for sex."

Fran laughed derisively.

"Welcome to the real world," she said, "So who's volunteering?"

Rhonda looked away.

"He's a great looking guy and he seems really nice," she said, "but…"

C.J. grew impatient and spoke up.

"I'll do it," she said, leaving the two women looking at her back with their jaws agape.

She walked into the kitchen, not sure what to do or say next. Matt was preparing some steaks for the barbecue and had laid out some vegetable fixings for a salad. He smiled at her, which melted away some of her determination.

"Do you want to help with dinner," he said, "You make a pretty good salad…or at least you did."

She laughed.

"I don't remember knowing how to cook," she said, "so much of my life is a mystery."

Matt nodded.

"It'll come back," he said, "so would you like to do the salad?"

She looked away and bit her lip.

"That's not why I'm here," she said.

"Oh?"

She sighed, suddenly losing sight of the words she had practiced while walking into the kitchen.

"I'm here to pay you," she said, "for allowing us to stay here by making it worth your while."

He looked at her confused.

"I've got all the money I'll ever need," he said.

She approached him closer.

"We don't have money," she said.

"So what's the deal then?"

"You spend time with me and that covers the three of us until tomorrow morning," she said, not breaking her glance.

Matt nearly dropped his steak fork and looked back at her, not understanding what the hell was going on until something he read in her eyes told him. He closed his eyes trying to reconcile his best friend with the woman who stood in front of him looking just like her and tread cautiously through the minefield she had just laid in front of him.

He shook his head finally.

"No, I don't take payment that way," he said, "not from any woman particularly women I care about."

She looked confused.

"But…that's how it's done, isn't it?"

Matt sighed.

"Not in my world," he said,

She nodded.

"I like your world better," she said, "It sounds nice."

"It's missing something," he said, "or someone.".

She caught the glimmer in his eye then looked away.

"So we'll leave after dinner," she said, "and not bother you anymore."

"No, you won't," he said, "I want you to stay at least over night after you make the salad."

"But…"

"You don't owe me anything," he said, "I want you to stay here and if you'd feel more comfortable with your friends here, then they can stay. They're probably safer here than out there where they can be found."

"They're not my friends," she said, "We just ended up in the same getaway car but I don't want anything to happen to them."

Matt nodded.

"Okay, well the three of you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to without and I don't expect anything in return," he said.

C.J. shook her head.

"Fran's not going to buy that," she said, "it might make her more distrustful of you."

"That's fine," he said, "because then that will put us all on more equal footing here."

C.J. shrugged.

"It's hard to blame Fran," she said, "She's been burned by every man in her life."

Matt turned to look at C.J. thoughtfully

"And what about you," he asked.

She just gazed at him but her eyes betrayed a trace of sadness.

"I don't remember," she said, "but from my experiences so far, I don't blame Fran for feeling that way."

Matt readied the steaks to be taken out to the grill.

"Not all men are like the ones in Bannon County," Matt said.

While she gave his words some thought, he handed her some more vegetables like carrots, onions and peppers to prepare for the salad.

"Like I said, I wouldn't know," she said, slicing up the carrots, "I don't remember most of my life."

"But I do," Matt said, "and you have a really good one filled with people who loved you."

She looked skeptical.

"You're so sure of that," she said, "How would you know?"

"I can prove it," he said, "after dinner, if you'd like."

She paused then finally nodded.

"Okay, you see if you can do that then but the way I see it, I got arrested, I went to jail and I broke out of it during the only three days of my life I remember."

"There's a lot of your life I can fill in if you give me the chance," Matt said.

Rhonda and Fran sat in the other room, waiting for C.J. to return.

"You don't suppose she's really going to proposition him do you," Rhonda said.

Fran shrugged.

"I don't think she's got the guts," she said, "but if she knows this guy, she shouldn't have to do it."'

"Maybe he turned her down," Rhonda said, "Did you ever think about that?"

"Then why hasn't she come back and told us that?"

Rhonda couldn't answer that question and just looked at her nails. They ran ragged since she had worked on them as part of the dressing up for Piser's party. Life on the run hadn't been kind to them.

Fran snorted.

"What that man put on was for show," she insisted, "He's no better than the rest of them. Just wait and he'll burn us too like the rest of them."

Rhonda smiled at Fran's pessimism.

"I'll make you a bet that he doesn't betray us," she said.

"What have you got to bet," Fran snickered.

"What have you got," Rhonda answered.

"Both of us have nothing so it's an empty bet," Fran said.

"Well, I'm still betting he helps us out," Rhonda said, "I think he's really a nice guy."

Fran laughed.

"Now I wish I really did have money," she said, "or that you did."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"I think I'm right," she said.

Fran looked suspiciously towards the kitchen.

"I bet that he's on to us, he's going to turn us in and that Bunny…C.J…whoever is probably in on it with him by now."

"She wouldn't do that," Rhonda protested.

"Says who," she said, "I never trusted her from the moment I first saw her."

"Like I trusted you," Rhonda retorted, "C.J. might have some connection with this guy and probably does with this cabin but that doesn't mean she's going to betray us."

"Still, I'm taking that bet," Fran said, leaning against the couch and placing her feet on the coffee table.

"So am I, against you" Rhonda said, propping her feet right next to Fran's, "not to mention a side bet that you're going to run out on the two of us and leave us high and dry."

Fran just glared at her.

"Say that again?"

* * *

C.J. finished up the salad and then went to look at the steaks out on the deck where Matt stood and checked them to make sure they were cooked through and through.

"They smell good," she said, standing behind him.

"You can pick out your own if you like," he said.

She frowned, shaking her head.

"I'm not all that hungry," she said, "but I'm sure the other women will be glad to eat them."

"Are you feeling all right," he said, looking at her face.

"She smiled.

"I'm okay, just tired," she said.

"Your face is a bit flushed," he noted.

"Maybe from that proposition I made earlier," she said, "I didn't know what else to do. I'm trying to figure out this survival thing in a world I don't really know."

He looked up at her troubled face and smiled to put her more at ease. His eyes however remained serious.

"I've known you most of my life and I would never treat you or any other woman that way," he said.

She looked at him a while.

"I know that," she said. She wasn't sure why she should trust those words given what she had learned in her brief history but she believed him.

* * *

Butz got off the phone inside his office, which was cluttered with boxes as federal agents and members of the county grand jury prepared to box all his belongings including those in several filing cabinets to be sent to their respective jurisdictions for further investigation. The Sheriff pulled his collar away from his sweaty neck, knowing that the hot water kept rising and he sunk deeper into it. Especially after receiving a preliminary copy of the coroner's report that was for selected eyes only and learning that Piser had not only died before the fire even started, but that he had suffered a gunshot wound to the torso.

He called up the county coroner's office which also happened to be under his jurisdiction as soon as he heard that unfortunate news.

"How'd they find the gunshot wound," Butz said, "Pardon me saying but Mr. Piser was burnt to a crisp in the fire."

"The examiner who conducted the autopsy had to do tissue cross-sectioning to get through the burned tissue and he was as surprised as anyone when the bullet popped out. It didn't even show up on the x-ray."

"So he wasn't knocked unconscious before the fire started," Butz asked.

"He may have been struck in the head and even that's difficult to tell given the fact that it took dental records to ID him but that's not what killed him," the woman on the phone said.

Butz thought quickly. This latest news wasn't the end of the world. If he came up with a new strategy quickly enough, it could still work to use Piser's death to frame the women who escaped. If he was able to suppress the autopsy file, who would ever know?

He got back on the phone.

"Listen, here is an order coming out of my office," he said, "No one and I mean no one including the feds are to take custody of that autopsy file or Piser's body."

"Sir, that's highly irregular," the woman protested.

"I have that authority and in this case, it's very necessary to keep the results of this autopsy from being leaked out to anyone."

Hesitation met his words until finally the woman broke her silence.

"Okay, you'll have no problem on our end," she said, reluctantly before hanging up the phone.

Now Butz had to put his latest plan into action, even as representatives of other law enforcement agencies packed up boxes of his possessions around him.

C.J. walked out to the kitchen were the other women still waited on the sofa in the living room. They looked up at her expectedly.

"So how was he," Fran asked.

C.J. looked puzzled.

"How was he what?"

"You should know, you're paying for out room and board tonight."

C.J. shook her head.

"All he wanted me to do in return was to make the salad."

Fran's eyes widened.

"You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm not," C.J. said, sitting next to them, "He didn't want sex from me."

Fran sighed.

"Okay, maybe you'd better go in and charm him Rhonda."

Rhonda harrumphed, refusing to move.

"What about you Fran," she said, "or are you all talk and no action?"

C.J. put her hand up.

"Wait, he's not interested in anyone," she said, "He's just interested in trying to help us."

Fran scoffed.

"No man's interested in helping women out of the goodness of his heart," she said.

C.J. shrugged.

"This one says he is," she said, "and maybe it's true."

Rhonda smiled widely.

"Ah-ha Fran, you owe me," she said.

"Don't matter," Fran responded, "I don't have anything to pay you."

C.J. looked from one to the other.

"What the hell are you talking about," she said, "Did I miss something?"

"Not much," Rhonda said, "I just bet Fran here that Matt's a nice guy who's not into taking advantage of hard up women even those who break into his summer retreat."

C.J. put her hands on her hips.

"He's being pretty nice about it," she said, "He's made us some steaks and he's letting us stay overnight."

Rhonda stood up.

"That's great because I'm starving," she said, casting Fran an irritated look.

C.J. shrugged.

"He's setting everything out on the back deck if you're interested," she said.

She and Rhonda walked back to where Matt had set a small table. Fran trailed after them about a minute or so, her hands still folded stubbornly. They all sat down and began eating what was prepared in front of them, without much discussion. C.J. mostly picked at her plate and listened to the others quiz Matt.

"So you are really interested in helping us," Fran asked skeptically.

Matt sized her up and nodded.

"I know Sheriff Butz was not running a clean operation in his jails," he said, "During our meeting, he lied to me."

"How so," Fran asked.

"Because he claimed to have never met C.J. here even after I showed him a photograph of her," Matt said, "but while he was out of his office handling business, I looked around and found this necklace on the couch."

"What necklace," C.J. asked.

He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"It belongs to you," he said, "It was a present from me."

She fingered it carefully, then a vision flashed in front of her eyes and she placed the necklace back on the table, its chain dangling off of the end of it.

"I remember wearing it," she said, "but I lost it when I was struggling with Butz on his couch."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean," he asked.

Fran shrugged.

"Butz laid first claim on all the women he just arrested," Fran said, "It's one of the fringe benefits you might call it."

Matt looked at C.J. closely.

"Is that what happened to you," he said.

She sighed and looked away.

"You can tell me," he said, softly.

She looked at him and suddenly believed him but there wasn't much to say about it.

"He tried but he got called out of his office by a deputy before he could do much," she said, "He left me alone in his office and that's when I met Piser."

Fran made a face.

"That creep," she said, "Dropping in on Butz to see how business was going."

"I just remember hoping that Butz wasn't going to come back in and pick up where he left off and then Piser walked in," C.J. said, trying a bite of her food.

"That's probably happened when I was beating the crap out of Rhonda in the yard," Fran said.

"Excuse me," Rhonda said, "I think I had your measure by the time they broke us up."

Fran put down her fork and put up her fists.

"Want to try your luck again," she said.

"Ladies," Matt said, "There's no reason to fight anything out. All of your energy should be focused on getting the goods on Butz and his men and bringing them down before they get you."

Fran gazed at him suspiciously.

"How much do you know about Sheriff Butz," she said, "You said you met him once."

"Twice," Matt said, "and that was enough to tell me a lot about the guy."

He noticed that C.J. didn't say much about what was going on or even appear to try to follow the conversation.

"You're being pretty quiet," he noted.

She looked up at him.

"I'm just tired and not all that hungry," she said, pushing her plate in front of her, "Maybe we should all get to bed soon because we should be making an early start tomorrow."

"I've got three bedrooms," Matt said, "I'll take the couch."

"I'm ready to hit the sack," C.J. said taking her plates to the kitchen and rinsing them.

"I'm not," Fran said, "We've still got some planning to do."

Rhonda turned around on her, irritated.

"We can get up and do that early in the morning before we leave," she said, "I'm tired too."

C.J. took the dishes from the other two women and rinsed them off in the sink. Matt joined her before going outside to clean the grill.

"Thanks for the dinner," she said.

He smiled.

"You ladies looked like you needed some food inside of you," he said, "You could probably use some shuteye as well."

"Do you need any more help," C.J. asked.

He took a long look at the woman with the familiar face still trying to find herself.

"I'm fine," he said, "but you look very tired so I'll finish up here."

C.J. took her bag to one of the bedrooms and just dropped it on the floor. She didn't change her clothes or even wash up but just collapsed on the bed. She heard a knock on the door and saw Rhonda standing there.

"Fran wants to get up at sunup to run over some possible escape plans," she said.

C.J. felt confused and her head spun a bit.

"We already did escape," she said, "We're looking for a place to lie low for a while where neither the police nor Butz's men would come looking."

Rhonda sat on the corner of the bed.

"Maybe we should stay here for a while," she said.

C.J. shook her head.

"Fran would never go for it," she said, "and we've got to stick together and with the plan."

Rhonda sighed.

"Well I'm going to get me some sleep then," she said, "see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," C.J. said, and then she suddenly felt chilled and dragged the covers over her. She closed her eyes and then felt beads of sweat break out on her face. Pulling the comforter over her head, she tried to get some sleep, but couldn't put the events of the past few days before her. She heard her heart beat quickly against her warm chest and wasn't sure whether it was because she was coming down with something or because she was still running.

Matt lay on the couch, not the most comfortable places to sleep but then he still remained too wired to have much luck with that anyway. When he had set out to find C.J. and what had happened to her, what he had found exceeded anything he had expected or even speculated. It never occurred to him that she wouldn't know who she was or what her name was or anything about him. Not to mention the fact that she and two other women, both strangers had broken out of some jail in Arizona, only it wasn't a jail, because somehow they had ended up as entertainment at an illicit party thrown for a bunch of bigwigs up at the state capitol. He didn't recognize much in the woman he had found sitting in his cabin wearing his best friend's clothes and looking like a mirror image of her. Still, he knew he was looking at the same woman he had bid farewell to less than a week ago before she headed off on her ill-fated road trip.

Now he had to find a way to bring her back.

"Are you sure you've packed everything you need to take with you," Matt asked C.J. after checking out the trunk of her convertible.

She put her hands on her hips.

"You're not going to start in with the horse trailer jokes, are you?"

Matt put his hands up.

"Who me," he said, "I just wanted to make sure you've packed plenty of drinking water and K-ration bars. Most of your journey's going to be over the desert and it won't be taking any prisoners."

She nodded.

"You're right about that," she said, "but look, I've got my entire survival kit including water distillation kit and flare gun packed right in there."

He looked in and saw that everything seemed to be to his satisfaction.

"Did you remember your knife in case you have to…"

"Set up a trap to catch wild animals to eat," she finished, "I've got it in the glove compartment."

"Okay, that makes me feel a little bit better," he said.

"Anything else you need to inspect," she said, though her eyes danced in humor.

He shook his head and drew her into an embrace.

"Just have yourself a great time on this trip," he said, "and bring us back home that legal evidence."

She nodded.

"I will Houston," she said, "I think I'm definitely going to have the upper hand over the opposition."

"That's great," he said, "I wish I could fly out and join you."

She smiled.

"Then why don't you?"

"I can't," he said, "I have a business conference here in the city to attend. Some of the workshops sound promising."

She kissed him and he looked at her a bit puzzled.

"Then this is goodbye until we see each other again," she said, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," he said, "but I'll see you soon."

Matt thought about those last words he said as he lay back on the couch. He thought he heard drops of rain hit the roof but wasn't sure though the sky had been overcast while he had driven up the road to the cabin. He spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what he was going to say to C.J. before she left him. But he came up wanting.

C.J. tossed and turned in her bed, now feeling warmer than she had earlier. Visions of Piser and Bunz came back to her in her sleep and she tried to ward them away.

"Drink this, it will help you relax," Piser said to her while they were sitting outside his ranch house on that fateful day. She had looked around for Rhonda but couldn't find her, even as Piser led her into his house. Then images of Piser soon merged into those of Sheriff Butz

"I could keep you locked up in here where no one can find you," Bunz said, while C.J. cowered on the sofa in his office, trying to push him off with her fists.

"Get away," she yelled and found herself sitting up in an unfamiliar bed, wrapped around in sheets and blankets which felt too warm for her. Sweat dampened her shirt and her eyes felt blurred. She saw the outline of a male figure coming into her room and standing over her bed. She pulled herself away from him and dragged the covers with her.

"Stay away," she said.

"Hey, it's just me," Matt said, "You're just dreaming."

She blinked her eyes and his features came into focus. She sat on the bed breathing hard.

"It didn't seem like a dream," she said, "I thought they were here."

Matt approached closer.

"You mean those men," he said, "but they're no where near here. "

She nodded.

"Would you like some water," Matt asked.

She nodded again and he went to the bathroom to get her a glass. Her hands took it a bit shakily and she spilled some of it while gulping it down.

"You're sick," he said.

She shook her head.

"No, I'm just tired," she said, "I think I'll go back to sleep."

He reached over to touch her face and she backed away.

"I'm just checking to see if your skin's warm," he said.

She let him touch her face and then her neck. He frowned.

"You've got a fever," he said, "Let me go get a thermometer."

She protested, trying to pull the covers back over her.

"I'm fine," she said, "I just got wrapped up in these covers. I'll be better in the morning."

"Yeah right," he left the room and then brought back a thermometer which he handed to her.

"Just do it as a favor to me, okay?"

She stuck it in her mouth and waited, just looking at him. Trying to think of all the ways she was going to argue that she and the other two women would still be back on the road when morning came.

"This…"

"Shhh, don't try to talk," he said and then removed the device looking at it.

"So what's the verdict," she asked.

"C.J., you're not going anywhere tomorrow," he said, "in fact, I'm calling a doctor."

She pulled the covers off of her and gingerly climbed out of bed.

"Oh no you're not," she said, "You call a doctor and you'll lead the police or worse right to us."

Matt shook his head.

"No it's going to be all right, you know the neighbor that called me to report your breakin," he said, "He's a good friend of mine…ours and he's a doctor."

"I don't need a doctor," she insisted.

"C.J., your fever's a 106 which means you've picked up some serious bacterial infection most likely," he said, "have you had any injuries in the past day or so?"

She remained silent.

"Okay, was that a yes or a no?"

"I did get caught under a barbed wire fence while escaping from the ranch," she said.

"Where did you get cut," he asked.

She gently lifted her shirt to expose a reddened and swollen area of skin on her side.

"I cleaned it several times," she said, "but we're on the run."

He nodded then got out his cell phone to call the doctor.

Both Rhonda and Fran heard the front door open and they crept out of their beds, hiding to the sides of their doorways to watch and listen to what was going on.

"Didn't I tell you that guy would turn us in," Fran said with disgust.

"What makes you so sure that's what it's about," Rhonda asked.

"They're both going into where Bunny…C.J. is," Fran noted.

Rhonda sighed.

"We'd better find out what's going on," she said as they crept into the hallway approaching the bedroom where C.J. slept.

C.J. just looked up at the man.

"Is he the doctor," she said.

"He's a friend of mine and he'll take good care of you," Matt said.

C.J. didn't seem so sure but her head throbbed and her side felt like it had split open. The doctor palpitated the wound gently and then took her vitals. He then cleaned out the wound and the drainage.

"This might hurt a bit," he told C.J. and she found her hand reaching for Matt's during the worst of it and he squeezed it back. The doctor bandaged it up and gave her a few injections including a tetanus booster.

Matt stood and watched what was going on, his heart in his throat until the doctor stood up.

"Another few hours and it would have been septicemia," he said, with a sigh, "but it's going to be a rough few hours until the antibiotics kick in and do their job."

"What if they don't," Matt said.

"I gave her a strong injection which should knock a lot of it out," he said, "and I'll give her another one tomorrow. I've left some pain medication and you need to make sure she gets plenty of liquids and a lot of rest. If she doesn't improve, she'll have to go to the hospital."

C.J.'s eyes widened.

"No hospital," she said.

The doctor looked down at her.

"Young lady, that's what we're trying to avoid," he said, "but this wound is badly infected and it's starting to spread."

She nodded slowly and laid back on the bed in resignation.

"Okay, so I'm staying here," she said, "for a while."

"You can stay here as long as you need to," Matt said.

She tried to lean up on her elbow.

"But what about the other women," she said, "They should be able to decide for themselves now if they want to stay or leave."

"It's their decision C.J.," Matt said, "and it's one that you've got to let them make."

"What if they wanted to stay," she said.

He nodded.

"They could and when you're well, I'll help all three of you find your road to safety whatever that might be."

"I think Fran's too proud to admit she needs help," C.J. said, "especially from a man."

"That might be," Matt said, "but she's smart enough to make the right choice."

"I know how she feels," C.J. said, "It doesn't seem like there's not much to trust out there."

"Well, let's start with what's in here," Matt said, "and you need to get some rest, okay?"

"I guess I do," she said, as she lay her head back on the pillow.

"You're safe," he continued, stroking her hair, "No one's coming through this cabin door."

Matt pulled the covers around her and the comforter on top of her. And then he sat in a chair next to her.

"Don't you have some place you have to go," she said, "like sleep?"

"Not until I know that you're going to be all right," he said, leaning back in his chair, "Now close your eyes and go to sleep."

She tried but all these thoughts hit her mind. She had so many questions even as her eyes grew heavy.

"What is this friend of yours like," she asked.

He remained quiet for a while and she thought he hadn't heard her voice.

"She's very smart, very beautiful and very determined once she's got it in her mind to do something," he said.

"That sounds nice."

"We've known each other longer than we haven't, since we were kids," he said, "We met on a playground her first day of class when she punched out the class bully."

"Okay, so she can defend herself," C.J. noted.

"But she defends others as well and fights for them," Matt finished, "There's been more times that she's watched my back and been right beside me when I needed someone than I can count."

"You work together," C.J. asked.

"We worked together to lead Houston Enterprises and then later on a private investigation firm."

She raised her brows.

"That's an interesting career turn," she said, "It must have been an interesting story."

He smiled.

"I'll tell it to you when you're feeling better, Matt said.

Rhonda and Fran hung out in one of the other bedrooms.

"Go to bed Fran," Rhonda said, "I'm trying to get some sleep."

"I'm getting packed up," Fran said.

Rhonda sat up.

"Why on earth…Oh wait a minute, you're leaving C.J. behind."

Fran sighed.

"That's my point," she said, "She's got a name now and she's with someone who knows her and she's sick. It's better off for her to be here but for us, we've got to get on the road before they find us."

"You're just worried about your own skin, Fran."

Fran looked defensive.

"What's wrong with that," she said, "All my life I've had only myself to look after me."

Rhonda eye's flashed.

"C.J. saved your ass back there at the ranch Fran," Rhonda said, "Hell of a way to repair her for that."

They heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Rhonda said.

Matt walked in the room.

"I couldn't help overhearing your plans to leave in the morning," he said.

Fran just looked at him and said nothing.

"Of course that's your choice if you want to take it," Matt said, "and I'm sure you're pretty smart and you'll try your best to stay alive but…"

"Fran, he's right," Rhonda said, "They'll find us for sure and we'll find up like those other two poor girls."

"Three," Matt corrected, "Another one was found dead in Vegas."

"Oh my god," Rhonda said, "How are they locating us?"

"People must be tipping them off for huge reward money," Fran said, "I'm sure not going to wait until they track us down here."

"So you're going to leave her sick here and just take off," Rhonda said.

"Yeah and if you had any sense, you'd join me," Fran said.

"Look ladies, " Matt said, raising his hand, "C.J.'s sick with a bad infection from that wound she got clearing that path through the barbed wire fence for you folks…"

Both women looked down.

"If it had waited a few hours or you had been out on the road somewhere, it could have killed her," Matt said, "but in a day or so, she's going to be just fine."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"In a day or so," she said, "so if we're here, we're sitting ducks."

"If you stay here, you're much safer than you are out there," Matt said.

Rhonda looked at Fran.

"I think he's right," she said, "and I don't feel right leaving C.J. behind.

"He'll take care of her," Fran said.

Matt nodded.

"I will even after she's better," he said, "I have no intention of letting anyone try to hurt her."

Fran snorted.

"Well that's very good for her," she said, "but where does that leave us?"

"Look Fran, if you stay here, I will help you too," Matt said, "and between the four of us, we should be able to deal with Sheriff Butz and his men."

Rhonda nodded and looked at Fran who paced back and forth in deep thought. Finally she turned around.

"Okay, count me in."

Relief stretched across Matt's face at Fran's agreement to his plan. He knew that remaining at the cabin provided the only chance to the three women to remain safe, to avoid the fates experienced by the other female inmates who had fled the ranch. He also knew he would need their help when morning came and C.J. tried to leave, not wanting to be left behind with a man she was just getting to know. He walked back to her bedroom with another glass of water and some medication. She had lain snuggled in her sheets, the comforter up to her neck after finally drifting off to sleep. He felt her forehead and her neck and both still felt damp and sweaty. She grew restless and switched sides, talking in her sleep but not making much sense.

"C.J."

She heard someone call her and fought to open her eyes, but all she saw was a light blurring the outlines of a face.

"Piser, it can't be you," she said, "I hit you and knocked you out."

Matt listened to her statements, wondering what that had all been about. The state police had told him that one theory being considered was that Piser died in the fire because he was unconscious before it started and unable to escape. If C.J. hit him… He shook his head to clear that thought and focused on the woman before him. She weakly lifted her head.

"Is it morning," she asked.

"Not yet," he said, "but I do have some medicine which will help you feel better."

He gave her the medicine and she swallowed it, before lying back down. He sat back in his chair thinking about what the doctor had told him about her apparent memory loss. The doctor had said that if she were in an accident, all it would take would be a blow to the head to cause amnesia which was usually temporary. Would her memory ever return, Matt had asked. Probably, the doctor had said. And what if it didn't? The doctor sighed and said they would cross that bridge if they came to it.

She slept peacefully after that and the sun began to rose over the mountain, streaming light through the windows of the cabin. Matt's eyes blinked open and his back tensed from spending the night in his chair. C.J. still remained asleep.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Rhonda making some coffee.

"Would you like some," she asked.

He nodded.

"I thought I'd make some omelets this morning," he said, "Seems like there's enough ingredients to work with here."

Rhonda went into the refrigerator to look for some juice.

"I guess you're surprised to see us still here."

"Not you," he said, "Fran. She seemed to set in her decision to leave this morning."

Rhonda smiled.

"She talks a lot but she's smart enough to know that she doesn't want to die and she will if she's on her own."

"These men are ruthless if they've killed three women already," Matt said.

"How's C.J.?"

"She's been sleeping," Matt said, "The doctor's coming back out this morning to look at her."

"How did she look," Rhonda asked.

"She won't be doing any traveling for a day or so," Matt said, "but she seems better than last night."

"That's good," Rhonda said, "She really pushed hard to get us out of there. Hard enough to even get Fran to listen to her. I don't think we would have made it otherwise."

Matt nodded, not surprised.

"She's one tough lady," he said, "She was just shot not too long ago. We didn't know if she'd pull through."

"What happened?"

"A client called us to extricate his daughter from a bogus cult which was after her family fortune," Matt said, "We knew it might be dangerous but we greatly underestimated the situation and as we were leaving, they took some shots at us and hit C.J."

"Obviously she survived," Rhonda said.

"Matt poured himself some coffee.

"It took us a couple days to even get to a hospital to get the bullet removed," he said, "She never complained the whole time."

"Well, she should come through this just fine," Rhonda said, "and if you dangle some food in front of Fran, she's not going to take off."

"So if we can get that settled," Matt said, "Then we can do some planning."

They prepared breakfast of omelets, toast and some orange juice and Rhonda set the table. Matt took two dishes of food into C.J.'s room.

She sat up against the pillow looking at him.

"You feeling any better," he asked.

"Actually yes," she said, "The food smells lovely."

He set up a plate in front of her and she went for the omelet. He watched her eat and noticed that she looked better than she had the previous night. The antibiotics must be doing their job.

"Are the other women still here," C.J. asked.

"Yeah they are," Matt said, "In fact, Rhonda helped me with breakfast."

"What about Fran?"

"She's decided to hang around for a little while," he said.

She sipped her juice.

"It's the safest place for them to be," she said.

"Matt took a bite of his omelet.

"I was a bit concerned that I would wake up and find you gone," he said.

She looked at him, and then smiled slowly.

"I don't know who you are," she said, "but since you've been here, you've done nothing but try to help me. And I know that I'm not strong enough to go anywhere very far."

"The doctor's coming back today to take another look," Matt said, "but I think he'll be happy with what he sees."

She tried to move then grimaced.

"I felt like I've been run over by a truck," she said, stretching her arms.

"That's not surprising," he said.

She hesitated.

"I don't remember very much about yesterday," she said, and then laughed, "Must sound a bit funny coming from someone like me."

"You'll be feeling better soon," Matt said, "and then you can decide what to do."

She hesitated.

"I have already decided," she said, "I want you to help us."

He looked at her and she nodded.

"I might not know you, but I do trust you that you do have our interests at heart," she said.

"Are you sure," he said.

She sighed.

"The way I see it, there's not a lot of options for us," she said, "and I'd rather cast my lot with you."

"Then that makes three of you," he said, "because the other two women made the same decision."

She smiled.

"So when do we get started?"

Matt gave her a look that she almost recognized.

"You're staying in bed and getting some rest today," he said, "Any planning that's going to be done is going to have to wait until tomorrow when you're feeling better."

"What about…"

"No one's going to find us here in the mountains," Matt said, "This would probably be one of the last places they would look."

"Maybe," she said, pulling the sheets around her. He took her dishes and went back to the kitchen.

She looked at the ceiling, hoping that what he had told her proved to be right. That they were really safe up hidden in the mountains. She wished she remembered more about them, because she sensed that she missed a lot, and found herself missing him even when he stood in the same room. But now she was ready to work with him and the other women to stay safe.

Miles away, Sheriff Butz sat in his office sweating and not just from the heat. He knew the pressure from the federal agencies on down would soon come to bear on him especially since the death of Piser. Even worse were those who held his strings, and those of Piser's as well. He sat by his phone waiting for the call that still hadn't come but that was on its way. The one that told him he had to find and eliminate the missing women or else.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of the Bannon County revision story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments and for reading!

* * *

C.J. sat in the chair underneath a shady tree, waiting for Matt to return from his daily hike down into the depths of the arroyo which ran parallel not too far away from his cabin. Thousands of years ago, a steady stream of water arising from a mountain spring had eroded a pathway through rock to navigate its way down the mountains. Now years later, only a trickle of water remained as a reminder of what had been a great journey, except when summer monsoons sent a vast amount of sudden rain water passing through a confined space. The arroyo transformed into quite a different creature then.

Matt had begun his hike an hour or so earlier as soon as the sun peeked over the crest of the nearby mountains, before the weather got too hot for the return hike. She sat in her chair munching her apple contentedly and holding his prize for a successful hike, a glass of ice-cold sweet tea. She thought today might be better than the previous day's hike because Matt's spirits improved with each attempt as he regained confidence in his physical abilities. A month earlier, he had taken on a mission and an explosive device which detonated near his vehicle had left him mercifully intact yet had stunned his vestibular system leaving him dizzy and with occasional attacks of vertigo.

Yesterday's hike had produced the first smile that he shared with her after finishing his hike and realizing that he did really feel better afterward, as difficult as it often was to start on down through the switchbacks towards the bottom of what was mostly a dry river bed and then to return back to the top. Before that, he had yelled at her a few times for pushing the issue of how important these hikes were to his recovery but she knew it was simply frustration running over and didn't take it personally even when the words stung.

She looked up when she heard the familiar footsteps and saw Matt jogging up the path covered in a layer of arroyo dust and his clothes drenched in sweat. But once again, he smiled and this time he held something in his hands.

"What did you bring," she said, before he held his hand in front of her and handed them to her.

She eyed the arrangement of wild flowers, all indigenous to the region and all beautiful in the way flowers often were when driven to survive and even thrive in the toughest climates.

"I found these," he said, "and I thought of you."

She fingered them gingerly.

"They're so beautiful," she said, "I take this means you've forgiven me."

He looked puzzled.

"For being such a drill sergeant the past week," she finished.

Understanding filled his brown eyes and he reached for her hand, which she took wrapping her fingers around his own. She enjoyed the intimacy of that contact, with her best friend and had worried the past few days that she had pushed the envelope of his endurance too far by not allowing him to give up. But she knew she had done right by her friend.

He reinforced that certainty that she had done the right thing by squeezing back.

" C.J., I'm real sorry for the hard time that I gave you since we've been here," he said, "I know you only acted that way because you care about me."

She closed her eyes at his words as they resonated through her. She cared about him, much more than she had ever told him. They had spent years as close friends from the time they were kids, shared many of life's adventures together and shared in some of its sorrows. When his doctor had ordered him to spend time in the peace and quiet of the mountains to recover from his injury, she had never considered any course of action except to go with him, even though he made it clear when she offered, that he wanted to be alone. But he had forgotten how stubborn she had always been when it came for looking out for him and finally relented when he saw he faced a losing battle if he pushed her away from him. Not that she didn't know when he truly needed his space but now wasn't one of those times.

They were both so young when faced with this hurdle that interrupted their lives just after they had started working in their investigative agency in Los Angeles and were having the time of their lives. Only Matt had to take part in an unrelated dangerous mission both due to the unique skills he had received in the military and because he owed a favor. Paying it back had almost cost him his life and now, he feared it could cost him his ability to be a private investigator, something he viewed more as a calling than as a profession. C.J. knew him well enough to know what went through his mind but she never wavered in his belief that he would get better and she never let that belief fade inside him either.

"Houston," she said, still holding his hand and looking at her flowers, "There's no reason to apologize. I knew that wasn't you saying those things."

He sighed.

"That's no excuse," he said, "You're very important to me and I hope you realize that."

She nodded her eyes stinging.

"I do know that," she said, "But I also know that you need to believe that you can have your dream back and I want that for you."

He raised a brow.

"I have to get better," he said, "We've got a new business to run. Murray's going to freak out when he finds out I'm cutting back on my business meetings at Houston Enterprises."

She laughed.

"That he will," she said, "but what can he say? It's your company."

He smiled, wrapped his arm around her and they walked back into the cabin. And she left a lot of things she had wanted to tell him unsaid, losing herself in the moment of having him back.

* * *

C.J. woke up with a start. She still lay in bed, wrapped up in her comforter. She heard rain falling on the roof and noticed that the room had darkened a bit. She looked at the clock and noticed she had slept only several hours. Then she saw him sitting in a nearby chair, reading. He looked up at her when he saw she was awake.

"The doctor came by earlier," he said, "but didn't want to wake you."

"What did he say," she said, trying to sit up.

"He gave you another injection of antibiotics, but your wound looks a lot better and your fever's coming down."

"I feel better," she said, "Just a little tired."

"Well, you need to get plenty of rest," Matt said, "and eat good food. Besides, the weather's taken a turn for the worse. It's not a bad day to stay inside."

She looked around, noticing how quiet the cabin had become.

"Where are Rhonda and Fran?"

Matt didn't appear too concerned.

"They went to the store down the road to get some more food," he said, "They should be back soon."

"How do you know they didn't just take off," she said, "Maybe they should, since I'd just slow them down."

"They're too smart to not have figured out that if they do go out on their own, they'll probably wind up dead like the other women," Matt said, "Another one was found dead this morning near Vegas."

C.J. sighed and covered her face with her hand.

"Damn," she said, "Someone's hunting us all down one by one until they find us."

"That's why it's safer for the three of you to stay here for now," Matt said, "some place they'll never look until we can figure out what's going on here."

She nodded.

"That sounds like a plan," she said.

"The best thing for you to do is just get some sleep," he said.

She raised her eyes sharply.

"I just got some sleep," she said, "I had some sort of dream about this place."

He looked up at her, a little bit surprised.

"What was it about," he said, "Do you remember coming to this place?"

She paused for a while, concentrating on the details of her dream before it could slip away and elude her like her other flashes of memory had done. The mountains and how they the morning light outlined their shapes. The scent of wild flowers and pine in the still air. And of how good it felt just to sit back and relax watching the clouds change shapes as they crossed the sky as blue as a robin's egg.

"I remember sitting underneath a tree waiting for you," she said, "You were off doing something."

He frowned, thinking back in his past and then he remembered.

"Oh yeah," he said, "that was a few years ago. I got hurt on some assignment and came here to recover and despite my attempts to get you to stay home, you came up with me."

"I hope I didn't make life difficult for you," she said, "but I must have had my reasons for coming."

He smiled.

"You did."

"But if I came down too hard on you," she said.

He shook his head.

"On the contrary," he said, "You made all the difference in my decision to do what I needed to get well."

She looked puzzled.

"How did I do that?"

He tilted his head and took in the measure of her face, which looked both perplexed and hopeful at the same time.

"You wouldn't give up on me and kept pushing me when I needed it," he said, "and I did really need it."

She leaned forward.

"Were you scared," she said, "that it would never come back to you?"

"Sometimes," he said, "I just wouldn't admit it to myself let alone anyone else."

She looked down at her hands which played with the comforter.

"I know the feeling," she said, "I try to just take one day at a time…"

"It sounds like they've been eventful days, C.J.," Matt said, "You need to take it easy on yourself. It will come back to you."

"I can't do that," she said, "I don't remember anything about my life except a piece here or there that I can't even grab onto before it's gone. I don't remember you and I really want to…"

"You will," he said, "I know you will when the time's right."

She sighed.

"But until that happens, I and the other women have to keep ourselves safe from those who are out to either arrest us for escaping or kill us for knowing what they did to us."

"Then why don't we make a deal then," he said, pulling the comforter closer around her.

"Like what kind of deal," she asked.

"That I'll take care of the part that keeps you safe from all these bad folks," he said, "We'll figure out what to do about this whole mess and you just focus on trying to allow yourself to let those memories back in."

She nodded, still a bit wary.

"Okay, I'll try," she said, "but you have to promise me that you won't put yourself in danger."

He looked away and she knew that maybe she'd asked him too much.

"Come on," she pressed, "I don't want anything that I'm involved in to put you in a situation where you could get hurt or killed."

"C.J. that's pretty much an occupational hazard for me," he said.

"And judging by the scars I picked up, for me also," she said, "but…"

"I'll stay as safe as I can," he said, "Now get some rest."

"I will," she said, but paused.

"What did you want to tell me," he said.

She looked at him and he saw that doubt clouded her eyes again.

""I hope you're right me," she said, "I seem to be a decent person. I'd like to get to know her."

"Well, I'll tell you what," he said, "You get some sleep and later on, I'll help you do just that."

* * *

Rhonda and Fran walked up to the cabin, toting some groceries.

"I can't believe you even thought about leaving C.J. in the lurch," Rhonda said, shaking her head.

Fran rolled her eyes.

"Only for a split second," she said, "but then I remembered I want to live long enough to see Butz and his men go to prison."

"Then you better plan on living for a while," Rhonda said, "even if they're busted, they'll hire fancy lawyers and drag this whole thing out for months. We'll end up paying for it."

Fran turned around and looked at Rhonda, her eyes serious.

"We owe it to bring these guys down," she said, "I was in that jail longer than the two of you were and I know what really happened."

"What do you mean," Rhonda said.

"I know about the girls in the desert," Fran said, "the ones sent there after they tried to run away."

Rhonda nodded quietly, not wanting to go there after seeing it all in Fran's eyes.

* * *

Matt looked up as the two women entered the cabin.

"Well you're back from your shopping trip," he said, putting down his magazine.

Fran raised her brows.

"Don't look so surprised," she said, "We might not trust you but we're not stupid either."

Matt went to help them with the groceries.

"You don't have to trust me," he said, "Just work with me so that we can put Butz and his band of creeps away for a long time."

Fran sighed.

"Well Rhonda and I were just talking about that and we both know that could be years, what with their money and fancy lawyers and all that before we see any justice."

Matt shook his head.

"We're not going to let that stop us," he said, "Yes, the justice system works slow, too slow for my liking but it doesn't mean that those men aren't going to jail."

"Sure it does," Fran said, "Who's going to testify against them? A bunch of jail inmates who prostituted themselves."

"Only because you had to," Matt said, "There's laws in the books against law enforcement officers forcing inmates to commit criminal offenses."

Fran looked away.

"Okay, so we get busted and go to the pen and they get slapped on the wrist and go to a prison that's more like Club Med," she said, "That hardly seems like justice to me."

"It doesn't have to work that way," Matt said, "You can get immunity when you prosecute."

Rhonda watched the two of them having their argument quietly, but finally spoke up.

"But what about the one of us who knocked Piser out so he couldn't escape from the fire," she said, "Isn't that murder?"

Matt's face grew somber.

"Now that's going to be a tougher road block," he said, "but to find out if that's even an issue at all, we need a copy of Piser's autopsy report."

"Your friend was the one who was last with him," Fran said.

Matt nodded.

"She admits that she hit him to get away from him," he said, "so there's a built in self-defense case."

"But she still has to prove it," Fran said, "and Piser was an important figure up at the Capitol."

Matt shrugged.

"One who abused his power to run a prostitution ring out of a jail," Matt said, "Once that comes to light, it's going to be hard to see him as a victim."

Fran still looked skeptical but it was one that Matt understood so he let it stand. In the other room, C.J. tried to sleep, but again the dreams followed. Or were they memories releasing themselves from where they had been snared in her mind, like an animal freeing itself from a trap.

* * *

Matt opened the door for C.J. and they carried their luggage into the cabin. C.J. dropped hers on the floor and went off to look around in all the different rooms inside it. Matt stood by the door and waited until she had finished that.

"C.J., he's not here," he said, finally.

Her eyes looked shaken but she nodded.

"I know that," she said, "but it's the first time I've been here since…"

Matt didn't need to hear her finish her sentence to know what she had remembered the minute she stepped foot inside its door. No doubt she thought about it on the long drive up the road that wound its way through the mountain range. She hadn't said much the entire trip and he hadn't pushed her to make even small talk when he knew her mind remained elsewhere.

Christian Dean.

The name appeared in her dream, alongside a rather nondescript face with a pair of eyes defined by repressed anger, even as a high school senior. On the surface he seemed successful at a variety of school activities and clubs but underneath, feelings of inadequacy and alienation raged inside him.

C.J.'s most recent memories of Matt's cabin starred this high school misfit from her past who had tricked a police officer into divulging the location of where Matt and Lt. Hoyt had hidden C.J. while they tried to apprehend her stalker who had already killed C.J.'s boyfriend and sent their friend, Too-Mean to the hospital, all within 24 hours. C.J. had been looking for some fishing gear so that she and the female LAPD officer who shadowed her could catch some trout from a nearby lake. On her way back, she felt danger in the air even before she saw the injured officer. Dean had then appeared armed with a knife from the kit she dropped and had played cat and mouse with her until both of them had approached the edge of the cliff. Then Matt had appeared in his helicopter and emboldened, C.J. had shoved Dean off the cliff, where he fell to his death hundreds of feet below. And just like that, she had taken a human life. Her first killing and hopefully her last. Dean's death had haunted her far longer than that of Carl's and it took a while for C.J. to make sense of that and not feel guilty. Exonerating her of Dean's homicide had been little more than filling out paperwork, completed by the time Carl's body had been laid into the ground, leaving her to mourn the deaths of the man she loved and the man who killed him in very different ways.

Now months later, she had finally decided to return to the scene where that nightmare had played out its final act. She willed herself to be calm and smile, but occasionally when not expecting it, she saw his ghost out of the corner of her eye. During those times, a chill passed through her and she tried to make a point of reminding herself that it was just another flashback, nothing real. Matt kept a careful eye on her as he had since she had killed Dean.

"I know he's not here," she said, "but I still feel that he was here."

"Are you unhappy that you came," he asked, concern in his eyes.

She didn't want him feeling guilty for trying to help her so she shook her head and smiled again.

"I missed this place," she said, "Some times it feels like the only place that's real."

"It's certainly much peaceful than the world we left behind," he said.

"But now…"

"You're worried that he's stolen something else from you that's meaningful besides the man you loved," Matt said.

She reached for his hand, and the warmth of his skin enveloped the coolness of her own skin.

"I really enjoy the time that I spend here with you," she said, "I didn't want that bastard to steal that from me."

He saw the tears threatening at the corner of her eyes and pulled her into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around him in kind. And then she began to cry. He held onto her until she had unleashed the feelings she had kept inside of her for so long, just stroking her hair and whispering into her ear that everything would be okay.

"He can't do that," Matt said, "This place is filled with so many good memories. Too many to be undone by one traumatic experience."

She nodded into his chest.

"I know that," she said, "but thanks for reminding me."

He looked into her face.

"And if you hadn't killed him C.J., he would have killed you," he said.

She nodded.

"I know that," she said, "It's just that I never had to kill anyone and even if it's the only choice I had, it's still one I have to live with."

He didn't know what to say about that, because it couldn't be brushed away with just a few sentences or platitudes. So he did the next best thing. He took her hand and then picked up the fishing kit and they walked down to the lake to cast their poles into the surface which shimmered like glass to do some fishing.

* * *

Once she woke up, C.J. wrapped her comforter around her and got out of bed, to join the others in the living room. Matt had brought in some wood and started a fire which brought some needed warmth into the room. They looked up at her as she sat on the sofa and wrapped the comforter around her feet.

"Feeling better," Matt asked.

She nodded.

"Would you like some soup," he said, "I'll get you some."

"Maybe a little."

Rhonda volunteered to get it and walked off into the kitchen where it sat warming on the stove. She brought it back and C.J. ate it slowly, savoring each bite.

"Do you think the rain will let up," C.J. asked.

"It's supposed to by tomorrow morning," Rhonda said, "that's what the lady at the store said."

C.J. sat silently for a while.

"I wonder if I killed him," she said.

Matt and Fran looked at her.

"You mean Piser," Fran said, "Even if you did, he deserved it."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You hit him to get away from him," he said, "It's self-defense."

"But if he was still knocked out when the fire was started and couldn't get away…"

"That's not your fault," Matt said, "Did any of you here set the fire?"

They looked at each other and shook their heads.

"When we left, there was no fire," Fran said.

"So it was started afterward, probably to destroy evidence before the state police could arrive," Matt said, "Those are your real killers."

"But I could have killed him," C.J. said.

"You wouldn't kill anyone unless you had to," Matt said.

"But I have killed," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Christian Dean," she said, "I killed him didn't I?"

Matt's eyes widened.

"You remember Christian Dean?"

She nodded.

"I killed him here didn't I," she said, "At the cliff that's near the lake."

Matt studied the emotions swimming on her face and then nodded. Not a pleasant memory in her past but still better than staring into a mirror void of life experiences. He could only imagine what amnesia must be like to C.J, akin perhaps to trying to navigate through a thick fog that only showed what was a few inches ahead, with every step taken causing what was behind to disappear again. And monsters ready to pop out at any moment, like navigating a minefield where each step had consequences.

He watched her relive her experience with the classmate that she had never noticed in school but who had built a shrine to her life in a dusty old motel room just off the strip and then set out to claim her for his own prize. When the police had broken into that motel room, Dean had been long gone, but the snap shots of C.J. in various stages of her life lay on the floor, their frames shattered. Evidence of the anger that raged through him at her rejection of his offerings.

She shivered as she ran her hand through her hair and he knew she was back on the cliff facing off against a guy with a knife saying a bunch of things to her she didn't understand.

"He had a knife, C.J., he was going to kill you," he said, "I know, I was there."

She nodded again.

"I know, I saw you in the helicopter," she said.

"I felt helpless up there," he said, "not being able to really help you.

She shook her head.

"But you did," she said, "You were there when I needed you to be."

"That killing was very hard on you," Matt said, "as it would be for anyone who doesn't enjoy it."

She grew pensive.

"I remember coming here for the first time afterward," she said, "You took me fishing and that helped me a lot."

He raised a brow.

"Even though we didn't catch anything?"

She smiled.

"Didn't matter," she said, "You helped make this place safe for me again, the place that I always loved to be when I needed to get away from it all."

"It still is that place," he said, "It will always be a place where you can go."

She put her soup bowl back on the counter.

"I don't know why I remembered Dean," she said, "Not exactly on the list of things I want to remember."

"Memories are funny that way," he said, "We can't always pick and choose what it is we get to remember...or forget"

She rubbed her eyes.

"I remember the depth of Dean's feelings towards me as ugly as they were," she said, "Even if I don't understand them. Obsession turning to hate and then to a murderous rage. I can feel them still as if it were yesterday."

"Sounds like a prince of a guy," Rhonda said, "I've known one or two like him myself."

"It's a memory, C.J.," Matt said, "what else is there about it?"

"I hate remembering him," C.J. said, "I hate being able to recall every feature on his face and everything he said and said, and not being able to have those memories of you."

Matt saw the pain in her eyes, knowing that part of it was what pain she thought she caused him.

"C.J., you're going to get those memories back," he said, "You've got more of them now than when I first arrived."

"Yes, but what if the rest don't come," she said, "What happens then?"

He gazed at her a long time, as she waited for him to answer.

"If that happens, only if it happens," he said, "Then we can start all over again."

She tilted her head.

"All over," she asked, "but is that fair to you?"

He sighed.

"None of this is fair," he said, "but you're my best friend and I'm not walking away from that. I'll do whatever it takes to fill in the gaps where you don't remember."

"I feel like I'm missing something," she said, "Something very important and I can't reach it."

"Well then that's a good sign," he said, "A relationship between two people is based on much more than memories. It's based on feelings they have towards one another that they share."

She nodded.

"I trust you," she said, "I don't know why I do but I do and I feel comfortable with you and being around you."

"You see," he said, "That's the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

* * *

Butz got off the phone with his handler and returned to his computer. He had been trying to track down leads on the missing women all morning but so far, only three of them had been tracked down and killed, leaving no clues behind. The men that he had hired were professionals, after all. But the rest of the women particularly the woman he now knew was C.J. and the two she traveled with had proven to be more elusive to find. Nothing solid had come back on these three and Butz knew he had to find them.

He had tracked that private investigator, Matt Houston, back to an office in Century City. He had even called a phone number listed there but a young woman answered who would only say that Matt was out of the office conducting business out of state and she didn't know when he would be returning. Nor would she provide any further information on him. Butz had detected a note of wariness in her voice and hung up. He picked up the phone again and dialed another number.

"This is Sheriff Butz," he said.

Someone cursed on the other end of the line.

"I told you not to call me at this number," the man said.

"You told me that all I had to do was babysit these women when they were in my custody and you would take care of the rest," Butz said.

"Clearly an assignment that you were ill-equipped to handle," the man said, "After this mess is cleaned up, consider yourself fired."

Butz laughed.

"We're all going to prison if the operation comes to light," he said, "including you."

The man paused.

"That is not going to happen," he said, "The hitmen are doing what they were hired to do. They've already taken care of three of our problems."

"But there's other women out there," Butz insisted, "and one of them's a lawyer whose friends with a PI who's rattled a lot of cages here."

"Then add him to the list of things to be cleaned up," the man said, sounding bored, "I want this problem that you and Piser created cleaned up and none of it coming back to me. Understood?"

Butz hesitated.

"We do understand each other don't we," the man said, "or do you need a refresher course."

"No, don't," Butz said, quickly, "I do understand and will carry out your orders."

"Good," the man said, "because I don't want to hear another word from you until they're dead including the investigator."

* * *

Matt heard the phone ring and picked it up.

"Hello, this is Matt."

Chris spoke on the other end of the line.

"What's up," he said, "Any problems at the office?"

"Well, Shelly called several times just to tell you she won't be calling back," Chris said.

"I'm not surprised," he said, "I could have handled that better."

"And some guy named Sheriff Butz out of Arizona called to find out more information on you," she said, "He told me that you two had spoken when you were out there looking for C.J."

"What did you tell him," Matt asked.

"Nothing," she said, "I know you're keeping us in the dark for a good reason. I just hope everything works out."

"Chris, it will," he said, "but we're trying to figure out a game plan to put this nightmare behind us."

"How's she doing," Chris said, "Does she still not remember anything?"

"She's got bits and pieces of memories coming back," Matt said, "not in any particular order but they seem to center around the cabin."

"So if you brought her back to L.A…"

"Yeah more memories might come back," Matt said, "Maybe a floodgate of them but we don't know if it's safe to go there, especially if Butz is sniffing around."

Chris's voice carried a tinge of fear.

"I heard on the radio that three women who escaped from that place were found dead," she said, "Is C.J. in that kind of danger?"

"Someone's hired professionals to go after these women," Matt said, "Now it could be Butz but somehow he doesn't come off as sophisticated enough to pull something like that off."

"He could be working with someone," Chris offered.

"That's what I'm thinking," he said, "Well thanks for running interference for me at the office."

"No problem," she said, "I wish there were more I could do to help."

"Maybe you can at some point," he said, "I'll keep in touch."

* * *

He hung up the phone, and went back to where the others were sitting in the living room.

"That was my assistant Chris back in L.A.," Matt said, "She said that she received a phone call from Butz."

Fran shook her head.

"So much for being safe anywhere," she said.

"Now hold on," Matt said, "My assistant didn't tell him anything and he's got no reason to come here."

"How do you know," Fran asked.

"Because he probably thinks that we're in some other state like Nevada," Matt said, "So that gives us a lot of breathing space to come up with a strategy."

"How are we going to expose these guys," Fran said, "Doing that's the only way to make it safe."

Matt met her challenging look.

"Butz isn't working alone and neither was Piser," he said, "Now I believe the ladies who escaped who are now being found dead were killed by hired professionals."

The women looked at him confused, and then C.J.'s eyes lit up.

"So you think that hiring professionals might be out of the league of someone like Butz," she guessed.

Matt nodded.

"So there's at least one silent partner in this operation," he said, "and it must be someone very powerful to go through the rather extreme measure of hiring professional hit men to take care of witnesses."

Rhonda sank in her chair.

"Oh great, what is that going to do for us," she said, "except make it a lot tougher even to go out in public let alone bringing down these guys."

C.J. leaned forward, letting the comforter slip away.

"I'm willing to try," she said, "I want to get these guys for what they did to those three women and who knows how many others."

Fran nodded.

"Damned straight," she said, "So do I."

Rhonda shrugged.

"So do I," she said, "but I hope we can figure out how to pull it off without all getting killed."

"That's the plan," Matt said, "but there's a lot we're going to have to do first."

* * *

The rain finally stopped at least for a while and the air filled with the scents of the nearby flowers and C.J. enveloped herself in the cool, fragrant air while sitting on the porch. Matt walked out and joined her.

"You warm enough out here," he asked, sitting in a chair next to hers.

She nodded.

"It feels nice after being cooped up in bed," she said.

"We're supposed to get some more showers after midnight," he said, "but by morning, the sun should be returning."

"It's so beautiful in the mornings here," she said, "I think I remember one morning when we went fishing out on the lake in the boat. We were much younger then."

Matt chuckled.

"Oh that," he said, "I swear that we only ended up in the lake because of a sudden cross current."

She smiled.

"Yeah right, so you say," she said, "But I've got a vague memory of being pushed."

"You pushed first," he said, "We were arguing about your attempts to lure the fish into the boat by singing."

"You said my rendition of Aretha Franklin was off-key," she said.

"Was it Aretha Franklin," he said, rolling his eyes.

She crossed her arms.

"Of course it was," she said, "and before you knocked us in the water, those fish were surrounding the boat and ready to give themselves up."

"You were really thinking they were just going to jump in," he said.

"Well yeah," she said, "Remember I was only about 16 at the time."

He nodded.

"Yeah that was when we both ran away from home," he said, "and Daddy sent a search party out looking for us."

"It was fun while it lasted," C.J. said, "I didn't want to go back home."

"Were things really that difficult between you and your uncle," he said.

She tried to concentrate, to remember what her uncle looked like and only saw the outline of a much older man who kept his emotions to himself.

"They must have been," she said, struggling with her words, "I just remember needing to get away for a while."

"Your uncle thought we had run off and eloped or something," Matt recalled, "I think he thought I was a bad influence on you."

She stared at him in shock.

"I don't know how he got that inside his head," she said, "We've never had that kind of relationship have we? In fact, I bet you were always surrounded by women in high school, I'd imagine. A great looking guy like yourself."

He found himself smiling at her compliment.

"I had a few girlfriends that came and went," he said, "but only one best friend."

She looked at him, her face flushing a gentle pink trying to pick her words carefully.

"But we never…"

He looked up at her, at first not sure what she meant, then shook his head.

"No we didn't," he said, "We thought it would mess up a great friendship we both worked very hard on if we crossed that line. At least one of us did."

She eyed him.

"You're talking about me?"

He remained silent, running his fingers across the worn wood of the arm rest of his chair.

"No, I'm talking about how it might have started with you," he said, "but you were right. I did play the field for most of my adult life. I'm not sorry about that, but I never wanted to do anything that made you feel you're part of that."

"Well, I'm sure I had my share of relationships too," she said, "Not that I can remember most of them except a little bit about Carl. But I don't know why I felt I needed that type of protection from you. I'm sure I knew how special our relationship was and maybe it would have survived sex."

Her mention of the word put some color in his cheeks.

"So what do you mean," he said, "You don't remember much about me but you're telling me that this relationship that you don't remember between us should have been included sex?"

She shrugged and suddenly looked tired.

"I don't know what I'm thinking," she said, "I'm really confused about a lot of things and one of them is you."

"I'm not trying to add to your confusion," Matt said, "But I guess I am without trying."

She detected the sadness in his voice, hidden behind a soft smile.

"No, you haven't," she said, "You've been so nice and caring and that's something I haven't seen in a man. Not that I can remember anyway."

He looked at her.

"I'm sorry you don't remember more than your experience in Bannon County," he asked, "but you can't let it define your perceptions of life."

"In my past few days," she said, "All I saw were men using women the way they saw fit. Some men paid for the opportunity to do that. I'm sure Piser knew what he was doing when he chose me at his party as his 'date'. A woman with no memory of who she was and where she came from and the assumption is that I would do whatever he asked or demanded of me because for that period of time I was nothing more than his property."

"C.J…"

"I sat there at the ranch house dreading the moment that would come when he would lead me off to some bedroom to perform for him. I didn't know much about my past or what kind of person I was but I knew I couldn't do what he had paid for. I didn't even want him to touch me. I also knew I didn't have a choice in the matter."

She looked at her hands, and tried to smile when she saw the expression on his face, but couldn't do it. The look in the eyes of a man who still in many ways felt like a stranger to her broke her heart.

"I'm so sorry…"

"Why be sorry," she said, "We all got out of there, at least far enough to know that we weren't going to be entertaining anyone as they called it that day. Now we just have to stay alive."

"Nothing's going to happen to you three," he said, "and maybe we can find out what to do about the other women still alive."

"I don't know why they're bothering to get rid of us," C.J. said, "No one would pay us much mind anyway."

"Any law enforcement agency would act if they heard your stories," Matt said.

She sighed and shook her head.

"No they wouldn't," she said, "They would have no reason to do so."

"Why not," he said, "It's their job."

"No listen," she said, raising her voice, "We were a group of women in jail for one reason or another and if we had gone off and complained that they had made threats against us if we hadn't served as their party entertainment, who would have believed us? Would there have been any investigation? I doubt it."

"But you didn't belong there," he said, "They took advantage of your amnesia."

"No one belonged in there," she argued, "Everyone was innocent of any crime until proven guilty in a court of law yet you had a bunch of men given a lot of power and trust running their own private harem in a jail facility."

He nodded.

"But when it happened, you fought back," he said, "and defended yourself."

"We all did," she said, "and that's why we're all out here struggling to survive, only now there's fewer of us."

"I know this is difficult," he said, "but you…we will get through it."

She reached out to stroke his arm tentatively.

"I know that," she said, "I just told you all of this because it's what I know about men and then along comes someone like you who follows a different set of rules and it leaves me with the nicest, the safest feeling in the world to know that not all men are like that."

"Most of us aren't," he added.

She nodded.

"If I made you feel otherwise, I'm sorry about that," she said, "I'm trying hard to sort through a lot of feelings and thoughts right now."

"I know," Matt said, "but maybe one way to handle them is to just relax a bit and let them work themselves out."

"Something tells me relaxation might not come naturally to me?"

He shook his head, with a smile.

"It does in the right set of circumstances," he said, reaching for her hand.

"Where are we going," she said.

"Just a little exercise," he said, "I've got something to show you."

She looked up at the sky, doubtfully.

"What if it starts raining again," she said.

"Then we'll head back to the cabin," he said, "Come on."

She slipped her hand in his and together they took off walking.

* * *

Inside, Rhonda and Fran sat and listened to the radio and froze when they heard that yet another one of the women had been killed, this time just outside of a food kitchen in downtown Los Angeles. Whoever was doing the killing was moving closer to where they were.

"I wonder if we're really all that safe here," Fran said.

Rhonda sighed.

"As safe as we're going to be anywhere else," she said, "Where else would we go?"

"Nowhere," Fran admitted, "We'd be sitting ducks anywhere else."

"Wait a minute," Rhonda said, suddenly turning up the volume," Shhh…"

"What is it," Fran asked.

"The Arizona State Police have not released the results of the preliminary autopsy on Semour Piser, a member of the state board of corrections who died in the blaze and have reached no conclusions about his cause of death being accidental or a homicide. The Sheriff of Bannon Count, has another opinion, believing that Piser was murdered in cold blood by one of the woman who escaped. According to one of our network reporters, Butz described the individual as a person of interest wanted for questioning. She's approximately in her late 20s to early 30s, about 5'8 and 125 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. She's believed to be traveling with two other women…"

"Omigod," Rhonda said, putting her hand over her mouth, "They're talking about us, aren't they?"

Fran got up and started pacing.

"Of course they are," she said, "and they're pinning Piser's killing on C.J."

"What are we going to do," Rhonda said.

Fran's mind worked in a million different directions.

"I don't know….but I'll think of something."

But before doing that, both women sat on the couch listening to the rest of the news report in stunned silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 --- to this older fanfiction. I had to do some revision because it was in 1980s style typed pages in my garage but it's been kind of fun. I think that's back before I realized the importance of numbering pages! I hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for the comments.

* * *

She still held his hand when he led her through a grove of trees towards the lake. The day had heated up a bit and patches of sunlight shone between the trees. She didn't recognize the path that they were taking but when she saw the lake up ahead, something inside of her mind recalled something. She tried to reach for it but it proved to be elusive. They reached the lake and followed the shoreline for a little while until they reached a small patch of brightly colored flowers adjacent to the lake. C.J. didn't recognize them, but when the scent reached her nose, a memory came to mind.

"We planted these didn't we," she said, kneeling down beside them.

Matt joined her on the ground.

"You did most of the work," Matt said, "We had come here just after my Daddy died."

She heard sadness creep into his voice and found herself reaching her hand to rub his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I do remember you wanting to do something in his memory."

"I wanted to start a new foundation," he said, "but I haven't been able to decide what the focus will be. I want it to represent something special."

She paused for a while as she stroked the flowers with her fingers, softly as a breeze might.

"I planted these flowers to make you feel better," she said, "Didn't I?"

"You wanted to plant them here because this is one of my favorite fishing spots," he said, "We used to come out here a lot on weekends especially after finishing difficult cases."

"It seems like they've been growing pretty well," she said.

He smiled.

"You picked a good spot and they took root," he said, "We used to sit down here in the warmth of the day and talk about many different things, anything at all."

She looked at him carefully.

"Anything?"

"Whatever was on our minds," he said.

She pondered that a bit, as she made herself more comfortable.

"Did I give good advice," she said.

He smiled.

"The best," he said, "although I didn't always realize that until I failed to take it and learned otherwise."

"I have a feeling I wasn't any better," C.J. said.

He shrugged.

"We both learned to trust each other to know that we were looking out for one another."

She sighed and looked back out at the lake.

"It must be really nice to be able to trust like that," she said, "at least with one person."

He stroked the hair off of her shoulder.

"C.J. I want to you to at least try," he said, "Don't do more than is comfortable but I want you to know that you can trust me."

She looked at him, still wary.

"I'd like to tell you that I can do that," she said, "But I don't know this woman that you say I am. I can't act like I'm here because there's nothing there to know what to say, what to do…"

"It's all still there," he said, "It doesn't just go away."

She rubbed her head.

"Everything did, in a split second," she said, "I wouldn't even know my own name if you hadn't told me."

"It's inside of you waiting to be released," he said, "and I think you will get all the answers when the time's right."

She leaned back.

"But in the meantime, I've got police after me, I've got crooks after me and I don't know who's going to find me first."

He heard the fear creep into her voice despite her attempts to remain calm.

"In the meantime, I'll do whatever I can to help you and the other two women through this mess," he said, "I know what I'm doing here and it's going to be all right.

She tried to believe him.

* * *

When C.J. and Matt entered the cabin, they knew bad news awaited them when they saw the expressions on the faces of Fran and Rhonda who had obviously been waiting for them.

"What happened," C.J. said, pulling her hand away from Matt's.

"We just watched the news," Rhonda said, looking at Fran and then at them, "and they've just put out a description on C.J. as Piser's killer."

C.J. looked at Matt.

"All I did was hit him hard enough to get away," she said, "How did they say he died?"

"The news didn't say," Rhonda said, "but if you hit him hard enough to knock him out before the fire started…"

"There wasn't even any fire when the three of us took off," C.J. said.

"It's not going to matter to the cops or the judge," Fran said, "They're still going to nail you for it."

C.J.'s eyes flashed. She felt her muscles bunch up and the instinct to run. Matt saw that too but didn't say anything.

"Well, first they're going to have to find me," she said, "and I'm not about to let them do that."

"We'll go with you," Rhonda said, looking at Fran who just looked the other way.

"Then they'll find all three of us," Fran said, "and take us all in and they might decide to charge us with murder too."

Rhonda rolled her eyes at Fran.

"You're not leaving her to face this by herself."

Fran put her hands on her hips.

"Of course not," she said, "This Houston guy will be with her."

Rhonda took a deep breath.

"Well, I'm sticking my luck with both of them," she said.

Fran shook her head.

"Why?"

Rhonda looked at C.J. and Matt and then back at Fran.

"Because I don't believe in running away from situations when the times get tough…"

"That's not what I'm doing," Fran protested hotly.

Rhonda raised her hand.

"I'm not done here yet," she said, "and I think that this Houston guy as you call him is going to help us and I know that, because I think he'll do whatever it takes to help her."

C.J. looked up at Rhonda and then back at Matt.

Matt put his hand up between the two women.

"Look, I want to help all you ladies," he said, "I want this nightmare you've been living to be over and Sheriff Butz and others like him to go to prison."

Fran laughed.

"That will be the day," she said, "It's all you're going to be able to do to keep C.J. here out of prison on murder."

Matt's eyes grew serious.

"I will do whatever it takes to keep that from happening," he said, "Butz and his cronies in Bannon County are going to be very sorry the day they crossed paths with C.J."

"How can you stop them," Fran said.

"I don't think she killed Piser first of all," Matt said, "The newscast didn't actually list a cause of death for him did it?"

Both women shook their heads.

"So one of the first things we got to do is get a copy of the coroner's report," Matt said, "and I have friends in the state police who can do that."

"You really can do that," Rhonda asked.

"First thing when we go back there," Matt said.

"When will we be doing that," Fran asked.

"As soon as C.J.'s up to it," Matt said, "That shouldn't be long."

She glared at all three of them.

"I'm ready right now," C.J. said.

"C.J., no you're not," Matt said, "You're still recovering from that infection. We can wait a day or two until you're better."

"But what if we can't?"

Matt watched her indecisiveness between staying and running out the door.

"We'll be better prepared in a day or so," he said, "I want to do some planning before we head back into enemy territory."

She ruminated on his words, and then nodded.

"Okay, we can wait a day or so," she said, "for us all to be ready."

"We'll need weapons," Fran said.

"We'll get to that part when we start planning," Matt said.

"Those men back there in Arizona are very ruthless," Fran said, "They might not kill us but they'll shoot you in the back five minutes after you get there."

Matt's mouth twitched into a smile.

"If they try that, the whole nightmare will be over in four minutes before they get off a shot," he said.

Fran just looked at him and shook her head. C.J. heard the confidence in his voice and how he stood there as if the dangerous operation he were planning was nothing more than routine. Maybe for him, it was, something he underwent as part of the various investigations that he took on as part of his career. And she had worked alongside him on most of them, C.J. thought. What kind of skills did she herself possess? C.J. had already seen some of them, beginning with her captivity in Butz' jail.

She had already taken actions to save herself or the other women but without any real thought into what she did. Her body appeared to act on its own as if the commands that directed it came from some unknown place. She wish she understood the nature of her own amnesia better but if she did, maybe she would have been able to find a way to get her memory back.

Fran walked up to Matt.

"Okay we'll…I'll do it your way," she said.

Matt just nodded.

"It's about time to get something to eat," he said, "I feel like some deep fried fish, how about you ladies?"

Fran and Rhonda looked at each other.

"There weren't any in the store," Fran said.

Matt smiled.

"I'm not talking about the store," he said, "I'm talking about getting them out of that lake out back there."

Fran gazed at him, suspiciously.

"You really think you can hook some fish out of that lake and fry them for dinner?"

Rhonda shrugged.

"Why not," she said, "I did a lot of fishing when I was growing up."

"There are some fishing poles in that closet if you and Fran would like to go out and catch us some trout," he said.

Rhonda smiled.

"I'm game," she said, "What about you city girl?"

Fran glowered.

"You think this is so tough," she said, "I'll bet I catch more than you do."

Rhonda snorted.

"How much?"

Each grabbed a pole and they went out the door.

* * *

"Do you think they'll actually catch something or push each other in the lake," C.J. asked.

Matt gazed at her, surprised.

She shrugged.

"After three days spent with them," she said, "I can say they definitely have a love-hate relationship."

He looked at her.

"How are you feeling," he asked.

She stretched her arms.

"A bit tired," she said, "I guess I'll go take a nap."

"You can stake out the couch if you'd like," Matt said, "I'll get you some blankets."

She nodded and sat down, relaxing herself in its comfort.

"It sure feels nice," she said, stretching out.

He walked back from a linen closet and wrapped a comforter around her.

"I have a feeling I've spent more than a fair amount of time on this couch," she said.

"We both have."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Together?"

"Sometimes."

She sat back up again.

"But I thought you said…"

She thought she saw some pink in his face.

"I did say…that," he said, "but there are other ways to share a couch."

She nodded.

"I guess so," she said, "My only memory of doing that with someone is not a good one."

Matt remembered how he had found the necklace embedded in between the cushions on a couch in Butz' office.

"In Butz' office," he said.

She nodded solemnly and he felt her pulling away.

"Yeah, if that fight hadn't broken out in that yard…"

"But it did," he said, "and you're here now."

She pulled the comforter closer around her.

"It doesn't always feel that way," she said.

"I know," he said, "but you're miles away in a cabin in the mountains, far away from anyone who can hurt you."

She smiled and reached for his hand.

"I believe that."

"And by the time we do go back there, we'll have a plan," he said.

"I don't want to go to prison," she said.

"No one's going to be locked up except Butz and his thugs," Matt promised.

She nodded as she began to drift off. He sat next to her and stroked her hair. She murmured as he did so, on her way into the dream world. A place he couldn't follow.

* * *

Fran looked at Rhonda as if she wanted to pick her up by her ass and toss her in the lake.

"Don't look at me that way Fran," Rhonda said, backing up, "I would have sworn that was the mother of all trout that grabbed my line."

"It wasn't a fish," Fran said, "You cast your line backward and what got caught was my hair."

"But why didn't you yell louder," Rhonda said, "when you moved, I naturally thought you were the fish."

"There wasn't any fish," Fran fumed, "In fact, I haven't seen one yet."

"I did get a couple bites," Rhonda said, "including the big one."

Fran glared at her.

"Why are we the ones out here catching the fish?"

Rhonda thought about it.

"I don't know but I think Matt thought it might bring us closer?"

Fran shook her head.

"No he just wanted to be alone while he and Miss Amnesiac get it on."

Rhonda's jaw dropped.

"How can you say that," she said, "even if they were lovers, he would never take advantage of her not remembering him."

Fran gave her a pointed look.

"He's a guy," she said as if no further explanation were necessary.

"Yeah but…"

"And as a guy, he needed us out of there while he put the moves on…"

"Fran, I think you're reading that whole situation wrong," Rhonda insisted.

"Wanna bet?"

Rhonda crossed her arms.

"We both got nothing to bet."

"True," Fran said, "But if I did, my money would be on them getting cozy somewhere."

"I think you're wrong," Rhonda said, "I think that if they're into each other that much, they don't know it."

Fran sighed.

"What kind of mixed up psychology is that?"

"Nothing," Rhonda said, "Just a feeling I've got, and that's all."

* * *

C.J. pushed him off of her while they were both on the couch. He looked at her puzzled, down at the young woman with most of her wavy brunette hair out of place and a few items of clothing as well.

"What's the matter," he said, out of breath.

She stroked his chest with her finger through his unbuttoned shirt.

"I'm trying to figure out where this came from," she said, "We were just talking a moment ago."

Matt tried to remember what they had been doing but everything that happened before they had started kissing went out the window.

"I…yes we were about something I can't seem to remember," he started, "but then…"

"Houston," she said, "You're my best friend and I feel like I've taken advantage of you."

Now he was really confused.

"How did you do that?"

She flushed, fiddling with her unbuttoned shirt which exposed lace underneath. Matt sighed thinking about how close he had gotten to breasts he had only dreamt about. Not that he had remembered much about those dreams until he had tried to relieve her of her shirt while they kissed.

"I was talking about…personal things about Jake and maybe I shouldn't have," she said.

"You were crying because he dumped you before the Homecoming Dance on some trumped up excuse," Matt said, "and then showed up with Cindi on his arm."

C.J. felt a stab of pain, or more accurately humiliation go through her as she remembered that evening.

"So you called me from the dance, I picked you up and we started driving…and we wound up here at your father's cabin."

Matt looked into her eyes.

"Yes I did and now we're here and we're not doing anything wrong," he said.

C.J. looked down at herself, her blouse mostly unbuttoned and how their bodies had been intertwined.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," she whispered.

"What happened," Matt said, "We didn't get very far."

"I can't believe I let it get even this far," she said, covering her eyes.

He removed her hands.

"You think that this is about me feeling sorry for you, don't you?"

She took a deep breath.

"No…Yes…I don't know," she said, "We're friends. We've always been friends. I don't want that to change."

He stroked her cheek.

"We are still friends," he said, "and we will always be friends. Nothing will ever come between that."

She tried to pull away.

"But you go out with so many women," she said, then read the expression on his face, "I'm not saying that's bad or anything but you're my very best friend and if we…"

"Yes?"

"Well, you know had…sex, I don't know how I would feel about that, being added to a list of all the women who slept with you."

"C.J., no matter what you might think, I don't have a black book," he said, with a sigh.

She stroked his arm.

"I know, but I also know that if we did…"

"Have sex," he finished.

"We might risk losing that friendship," she said, "and I don't want that to happen."

He put his arms around her and drew her close. She didn't fight him but she didn't exactly embrace him either.

"First of all, I am not here right now because I feel sorry for you…"

Her eyes showed him that she didn't quite believe him.

"No, that's the truth," he said, "I'm here because you're a very beautiful woman who I care about a great deal."

"But…"

"No buts. You're a woman I also find incredibly sexy and I don't regret what we were doing at all," he said, "If I did, we wouldn't be here."

"I understand that, I think" she said, "I feel the same way about you but I don't want to lose you so I can't do this. I hope you understand that."

He stroked her hair back and nodded.

"I do," he said, "and if it's what you want is for me to back off, then I'll do that until the day comes when you change your mind.

"I don't know if it will change," she said, "I just know that I want you in my life and I think that means being your friend."

He sighed, wanting to reach out for her again but recognizing the boundary she had put up.

"Okay," he said, "I'll agree to that as long as we include a clause leaving it open to renegotiation in the future because you seem to have some idea about how I feel about all this and I think you couldn't be more wrong."

"What do you mean," she said.

"You don't think friends can be lovers."

"Not at all," she said, "I just think it's difficult for lovers to remain friends if one of them falls in love or wants someone else."

"And you're sure that would be me?"

"It could be either one of us," she said, "If we ever got together and then broke up, I'd hate losing my best friend."

After reading the expression in her eyes, he nodded.

"Okay, I can see where you're coming from," he said, "I don't agree but I respect your feelings and I'll…we can back this up a few steps."

She smiled at his words.

"Maybe we should sign a piece of paper and notarize it."

Instead, he reached for her and kissed her on her mouth until she responded back. When they finished kissing, they smiled at each other and then lay back on the couch in each others' arms until they fell asleep.

* * *

C.J. woke up from her nap and looked over watching Matt who was reading in the chair next to the couch. She thought about sharing the memory that came to her through her dream but decided to think about that some more. For one thing, she felt that even though they had been in a cabin, it appeared to be a different one. Where would that be? And the other was, that the dream or memory or whatever it had been had left her more confused about Matt and any relationship she shared with him.

Back then after they had settled that issue on the couch, they had gone out the next morning and walked around the lake as very good friends. She knew now even with most of her memories missing that she had been in love with him that day, in a way that she still felt deep inside her. But she didn't feel as if she could bare that part of herself unless she knew for sure he had felt the same way she did. And back then, Matt had seemed more interested in playing the field than in anything else to do with sticking with one woman.

She wondered what he was like today as she stretched her arms. He looked over at her.

"Did you have a good sleep," he asked.

She looked at him, thoughtfully.

"You could say that."

He looked at his watch.

"Have Fran and Rhonda gotten back yet from fishing?"

"Not yet," he said, "I hope they haven't killed each other."

C.J. smiled.

"They tried that once but it ended in a draw," she said, "I think they realize they need each other too much to survive to surrender to their instincts."

"So what did you dream about," he asked casually.

She remained quiet and he looked at her.

"Anything interesting," he said, "Any visits down memory lane?"

She pursed her lips.

"Actually yes," she said, "But I don't think I want to talk about it."

"Anything bad?"'

She smiled to allay his concerns.

"No," she said, "just interesting and more than a little bit surprising."

Matt leaned back in his chair.

"Well, life's full of that."

* * *

Just then the cabin door opened and both Rhonda and Fran walked in carrying two fish apiece. C.J. got off the couch to meet them.

"You caught something," she said with a smile.

Rhonda looked at Fran.

"She's actually quite the fisherman," she said, "She caught three and I got the other one"

"And she got my hair too," Fran added.

"Well, if you bring them into the kitchen, we can clean them out and get them ready to fry," Matt said.

Fran looked at Matt.

"Clean them out," she said, "Who's going to do that?"

Rhonda laughed.

"Why, Fran, it's the honor reserved for the person who caught the fish."

Fran grimaced.

"Why did I know I wasn't going to like the sound of that?"

C.J. shrugged.

"I'll help you," she said, "I think I have some experience in this area from somewhere."

As it turned out, C.J. deftly skinned and scaled several trout while the other women particularly Fran watched. She saved one apiece for Rhonda and Fran to try their hand at.

"I guess you do," Fran said, struggling with her slimy fish which though dead still tried to get away from her grasp.

"We used to go fishing all the time," Matt said, "Lakes, rivers, out in the ocean."

"Really," C.J. said, "Where did we go?"

"Gulf of Mexico, Santa Monica Harbor, Catalina Island," he said, "some great places back East like Martha's Vinyard."

C.J. frowned and Matt knew she tried to remember.

"My father taught us both how to sail when we were younger," Matt said.

"Your father," she said, "I wish I could remember him."

Matt sighed.

"He died not too long ago," he said, "and you really stood by me and helped me get through that."

C.J. smiled.

"I'm glad I could do that for you."

Fran finally finished scaling her fish.

"Do you remember any part of it," she asked.

C.J. bit her lip.

"No I don't," she said, looking down.

She and Matt took the fish out to fry them on the deck.

"These are good-sized," Matt said, "I think they did a pretty good job out there."

Rhonda walked out to the deck bringing them some beer she removed from the frig.

"I heard that," she said, with a smile, "Most of my fishing was in lakes but we always caught enough to eat."

"I'm going to make some salad," C.J. said.

"You sure you're up to it," Matt asked.

She smiled and raised her arms.

"I'm feeling better," she said, "I'll be fine."

C.J. went into the kitchen.

* * *

"She looks better than she did yesterday," Rhonda noted.

"Infection's dying down," Matt said, "but she still needs to take it easy for a while."

Rhonda sat down next to the grill.

"She really got us out of that house as quickly as she could," Rhonda recalled, "I was too shocked to even move so she pushed me outside and when we ran, they started shooting. The only wait to get to the cars was to crawl under Piser's fence. That's how she got hurt."

"Who started shooting at you?"

"The deputies that work for Butz," he said, "The ones who guard us when we're back in our cells."

"So who made the decision to ditch the party," Matt asked, checking the fish.

"C.J. and I talked about it on the way over," Rhonda said, "She didn't want any part of the prostitution gig so she said she was going to look for a way to escape. I asked her if she would let me go with her."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"How did Fran wind up with you?"

Rhonda frowned.

"She just started running with us," she said, "It sure wasn't my idea for her to come along."

Matt smiled.

"I noticed relations between the two of you seem a bit…strained."

Rhonda smirked.

"We fought the moment we crossed paths, but I couldn't get her to lay off of me as quickly as C.J. did," she said, "Someone taught her some pretty good fighting skills."

Matt nodded slowly.

"I assume that was you," Rhonda said, looking at him.

"Some of it probably," he said, "but she's got a strong survival instinct of her own."

* * *

C.J. chopped vegetables and after watching her for a couple of minutes, Fran grudgingly joined in the world. She picked up a couple of carrots and started chopping them.

"You want some bell peppers," Fran asked, "Rhonda and I found some at the store."

"Sure," C.J. said, "Hand them over here."

Fran tossed a couple over towards her. They worked together in silence for a while.

"So you doing any better than yesterday," Fran asked.

C.J. nodded.

"Don't worry," she said, "I should be ready to go back to Bannon County to deal with this mess tomorrow."

"It's like he said, no rush," Fran said, "We can't be dragging anyone who's at less than 100%."

"You're right," C.J. said, "I think with a good night sleep tonight, I'll be fine for tomorrow."

Fran paused.

"Is this Matt, is he your guy?"

C.J. just stared at the other woman.

"I don't remember what kind of relationship I had with him or even knowing him," she said, "but I think we were friends."

"Are you sure," Fran said, "Most people don't go all out for friends."

C.J. shrugged.

"Maybe he's different," she said, "Maybe he's like this with all of his friends."

Fran laughed.

"If he were, he wouldn't have any energy left," she said, "so you must be different."

C.J. dropped her knife and turned to look at Fran.

"I asked him if we were…together and he said no," C.J. said, "Does that answer your question?"

Fran nodded.

"Maybe," she said, "You see I think he's kind of a fine looking guy and he's actually nice without being too nice."

C.J. raised a brow.

"Is that your way of saying that you're interested in him?"

Fran looked away.

"That's not what I said."

C.J. wasn't sure but she thought she saw the other woman flush slightly on her face.

"If you're into him," she said, "Maybe you should tell him and hear what he thinks about it."

"Just like that?"

C.J. took the tongs and mixed up the salad.

"Well yeah," she said, "It shouldn't be too complicated if both of you want the same thing."

Fran looked at her warily.

"You don't mind?"

C.J. shook her head.

"No reason why I should," she said, "Just don't break his heart because I think he has one."

Fran brushed her off.

"I know how to handle men," she said.

C.J. watched Fran leave the room and felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle because despite what she told her, she did care. Only she had no reason why the thought of Fran pursuing Matt really bothered her. If they hadn't been in a romantic relationship before she left for Santa Fe and got amnesia then why did she feel pangs of unease churning inside her right now? She had to put those thoughts away as she had nothing in the way of context in which to place them. Just remnants of memories real or imagined that appeared mostly in her dreams.

* * *

They ate dinner out in the deck, watching the sun go down and the heat begin to dissipate from around them.

"This isn't bad," Fran said, "I never really was into eating fish much."

"Then this is your chance to make up for missing some truly good cuisine," Matt said.

"Yeah that," she said, then smiled.

Rhonda followed C.J. into the kitchen when it was time to clear the dishes and asked the burning question.

"What is she doing?"

C.J. just shrugged.

"I believe it's called making a pass," C.J. said.

Rhonda's eyes widened.

"She's going to dig her hooks into Matt?"

"She's just interested in getting to know him better," C.J. said.

Skepticism loomed in Rhonda's eyes.

"This is the same women who said that men were the curse of everything she had experienced in the world?"

C.J. nodded.

"And yes, men have been responsible for just about all of my bad experiences the past couple days," she said, "and those are the only parts of my life that I can remember."

Rhonda shook her head.

"This isn't going to be pretty," she said.

"Why not," C.J. asked, "I don't really know him much but Houston seems to be a great guy. He's been nothing but nice and helpful to us since he got here which is pretty considerate considering we broke into his cabin."

"Yeah, but you found the key for it."

C.J. looked at her hands. She still hadn't figured out how she had been able to have been drawn to its location like she had been, even now that she knew the reason for it. The sensation of being pulled that way still appeared unsettling.

"It's still breaking and entering," she said, "I didn't have his permission."

Rhonda ran some warm water to wash the dishes.

"But he was happy to see you," she said, "I would even say relieved."

"He was happy to see _her_," C.J. said, "He doesn't know me or maybe he does and I'm not the one who knows. This is so confusing."

Rhonda looked towards the deck.

"If Fran comes on to him, if she makes a move," she said, "He's going to turn her down."

"Maybe, maybe not," C.J. countered, "She's a pretty girl when she lets her guard down and he seems the type who likes to hang around pretty women."

Rhonda snorted.

"Well most of his attention and concern since he got here has been focused on one pretty woman and that's you."

C.J. smiled, wiping several dishes.

"That's because he said we're really close friends," she said, "We've been so for a long time so I guess it's just natural for him to behave that way."

Fran came in with more dishes for them to wash. She seemed a bit more subdued than she did a moment ago.

"What's up Fran," Rhonda said, "Matt turn down your charm?"

Fran scowled.

"I didn't use any," she said, "We were just talking about our childhoods. I didn't know that he'd passed through some of the same towns in Texas that I did."

"Small world I guess," Rhonda mused.

"He did mention how C.J. got in a couple of fist fights when she first came to Houston," Fran said.

C.J. took note of that.

"I did," she said, "I must have been a violent child."

"Your fists still work fine today," Rhonda said, "as Fran knows."

Fran picked up a piece of carrot out of the salad and ate it.

"He talked about his investigative agency and some of the cases that he and C.J. had worked on together," she said, "It sounds like they had a great time together."

"Maybe that explains some of my bullet scars," C.J. said, "but I don't remember getting any of them."

Fran's eyes widened.

"It's a little bit difficult to believe anyone could forget getting shot," she said, "That must really hurt."

* * *

C.J. thought about it hard and suddenly flashes of light hit her. She put her hand on her head and saw herself lying on the ground inside some dark room, screaming inside her head at the burning pain in her side. She bit her lips until they had bled to keep from crying out loud. A man, Matt had crawled up to where she lay, holding his own head as if he had been injured by a sudden blow. He had looked around the room to size up where he was being held and then he had looked down at her, in a pool of blood.

"C.J…where's the blood coming from," he said, reaching over and searching for bullet wounds. She just stared up at him, her eyes fixed. Her vision blurred and became grey around its edges. She tried to talk but only a whisper came out.

"I don't know…I feel…pain all over," she said.

He put his hand on her as he examined her.

"Don't move," he said, "I have to find out where this bleeding is coming from so I can stop it."

Her hand reached to try to touch his face and he grabbed it. It felt cool to the touch and he rubbed it with his other one, willing the warmth of his body into hers.

"It hurts…" she said, curling up, "Why did they shoot us?"

He didn't know the answer and still didn't know where the blood came from and suddenly, C.J. thought she heard a door open and a bright light shine on both of them.

* * *

C.J.'s body jolted as she reached for her side and carefully lifted up the shirt. She noted the infected wound which was healing and saw that adjacent to it, was a oval shaped hole, smaller in size. She touched it and knew what it was.

Both Fran and Rhonda had stopped working and looked at her.

"What did you remember," Rhonda asked.

"I was shot," C.J. said, "We were on a case to rescue a woman from some men…I don't know why but we were leaving without her and then I heard gunshots. I tried to hit the ground as fast as I could and to warn Houston but I was hit."

"So you were taken captive," Rhonda said, "but you must have made it to the hospital."

She nodded.

"I don't remember much of it until I woke up in a hospital bed and Houston sat with me holding my hand," she said, "I didn't let him stay long and told him to go back and find the girl."

"He did, didn't he," Rhonda said.

"I guess so."

Fran folded her arms.

"This all sounds very nice but we can't afford a repeat when we go back to Bannon County," she said.

"There won't be one," C.J. said, "If I worked with Houston, then most of our assignments must have successful for me to be here."

"But you don't remember any of these jobs except for that little trip down memory lane you just took," Fran said.

Rhonda stood between the two of them.

"Stop ragging on her," she said, "She's probably forgotten more about how to do this than either of us know."

Fran sighed.

"I'm sure about the forgotten part but what about everything else?"

C.J. put down the last dish and sighed.

"Fran, I'm going to do the best I can like everyone else here," she said, "That's all I can promise. That's all any of us can."

* * *

C.J. left the room and walked out onto the balcony where Matt cleaned up the grill.

"How's everything going in the kitchen," he said, looking up, "or should I ask?"

"Everything's fine," she said, "Every dish is accounted for."

"That's good," he said, "It's all right if you're not best friends. Circumstances threw you together."

"It's not that I don't like them," C.J. said, "We're just so different and at least they know why. I've got no idea. I do care what happens to them. I feel like even when we argue, they're still the only people who understand what I feel."

"C.J., you've got friends," he said.

She gestured with her hands.

"I don't know any of them," she said, "I don't feel like I know anyone at all…even you."

"It's not always going to be like that," he said.

"Maybe so, maybe not," she said, "even the doctor couldn't be sure."

"I know it will all come back to you when the time is right," he said, "and I know you must be feeling lonely, but you're not alone."

She nodded.

"I know," she said, "as mismatched as we all are, it does help to be around each other."

"Well Fran has taken quite a shine to you," he said.

His mouth twitched.

"She has," he said, "I never would have guessed it."

"She's an attractive woman," C.J. said, "and when she makes her mind up, she goes after what she wants."

He gazed at her up and down.

"So are you and you're pretty good at that yourself."

She looked at him confused.

"But we're not together, are we?"

"No we're not," Matt said, "and here you are trying to talk to me about Fran."

She shrugged.

"I meant nothing by it," she said, "I was just making an observation."

Matt picked up another beer and opened it.

"C.J., I told Fran when we were alone that I'm not looking for anyone right now," he said, "This is hardly the time to think about my social calendar."

She tried to hold back a smile.

"True," she said, "but you two would make an interesting couple."

"She's certainly spirited enough," Matt said, "but I think our interests are different."

"I wouldn't know," C.J. said, "I'm still not sure what my interests are let alone anyone else's."

Matt brushed her bangs off of her face.

"You'll figure it out," he said, "and some of us can fill in the gaps."

C.J. sighed and turned away.

"I don't recognize the face I see in the mirror, yet I remembered where to find the key to this cabin," she said.

"That's true," he said.

She began pacing and he gave her plenty of room.

"I can't remember what I did a week ago, yet I can remember how to skin fish, how to hotwire a car and how to defend myself."

Matt nodded, following along. She paused and her eyes started to burn.

"I don't know you at all," she said, "but in some ways I feel so close to you."

He approached her again.

"There's nothing the matter with that."

She didn't look like she found his words comforting.

"I know, but at the same time I feel this distance between us and I hate it."

He wrapped his arm around her and she tucked her head in his chest.

"It doesn't have to be that way," he said, "We've been friends most of our whole lives."

"But you know that and I don't," she said, "And I feel a huge piece of myself with you missing."

"Well, I'm right here," he said, stroking her back, "and I'll help you find it."

She nestled deeper in his embrace and he pulled her closer. And then she did something which shocked the both of them.

She kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5---Hi, this chapter's kind of strange b/c I hadn't numbered some of the pages, lol. Hopefully it makes sense. Hope you enjoy reading it.

* * *

Her lips felt wonderful against his mouth and for a while, he enjoyed the moment as this beautiful women that he had known most of his life kissed him. She ran her hands through his hair before wrapping them around his waist to bring him in closer. He reciprocated by pulling her into an embrace, her body pressing against his own.

Then he remembered what reality they both lived in and stopped what he had been doing. She felt him pull away from her embrace before he said anything. She suddenly felt more alone than she could ever remember feeling so she just stuck her hands in her pockets and looked away.

"I'm sorry I did that," she said, "I don't know why I did. It just hit me."

Matt tried to say something to reassure her.

"You did kind of surprise me there," he said, "but there's nothing to be sorry about."

She put her weight on one foot and then the other. Matt thought she might be finding the best direction in which to flee. He knew he had to say something to stop her.

"Besides, I kissed you back," he said, "and I'm not sorry about it."

She looked at him and sighed.

"Of course you are," she said, "I know enough to know that we didn't have that kind of relationship."

Matt studied her face, filled like a kaleidoscope of different emotions and in some of them, he saw his best friend, in others a bewildered stranger.

"No we didn't," he said, "but we've been close a time or two."

She nodded slowly.

"I think I know that too," she said, "I remember we were in a cabin, not this one but another having that discussion after well…doing what we did now."

Matt smiled.

"I remember that," he said, "You said it was more important that we remain friends than become lovers."

She looked back over the railing out to the woods behind the cabin.

"I must have had a reason," she said, "I just don't know what the rules are in our relationship because I only remember bits and pieces of it."

"You did have a good reason," Matt said, "You were right. Our friendship is too important and I did see a lot of women back then."

She looked back at him and smiled.

"And what about now?"

"Fewer girlfriends. Longer relationships," he said, "I was engaged once but she was killed."

She saw the sadness pass over his face at the thought. Still she envied him his memories no matter how painful.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, "That must have been very difficult."

He nodded.

"It was," he said, "But my best friend helped me get through it."

* * *

Rhonda walked out onto the deck.

"What are you two doing out here," she said, "or should I even ask."

Both looked at her with C.J. trying to hide the hint of blush in her cheeks.

"Just talking," she said, "How are you and Fran holding out? You've not killed her have you? It's gotten mighty quiet in there."

Rhonda shook her head.

"She's still in there worrying about whether they're going to come and get us," Rhonda said, "I explained to her there's very little chance of them looking here."

"That's probably true," Matt said, "but we're going to be heading back to Arizona soon to find them."

"Are you sure we're ready for this," Rhonda said, "I mean, C.J. doesn't even have her memory back yet."

"But she has her memories of what happened there," Matt said, "and that's what matters for now."

Rhonda looked back into the cabin, remembering their earlier conversation.

"What if they try to get C.J. or the whole lot of us for murder?"

Matt's jaw set at her words. After all, it was hardly outside the realm of possibility that at least C.J. would be arrested as soon as they set foot back in Bannon County.

"We're going to have to take steps to make sure that doesn't happen," Matt said, "We've got to build a case against them running an illegal operation out of the jail."

"We'll have to do that before they kill all the witnesses," Rhonda said, "I'm really worried about the other women who are still out there and the ones in the jail."

C.J. bent her head.

"Yeah, me too," she said, "How are we going to help them?"

"By bringing this prostitution ring and all its players down," Matt said, "That's the only thing we can do."

C.J. sighed.

"So when do we get started?"

"If you're up to it, we can start back the day after tomorrow," Matt said.

She protested.

"I'm okay," she said, "Really, I'm feeling much better."

"Then another day taking it easy isn't going to hurt you," he said, "Besides, we need to do some planning and it's safer to do it here."

"Okay," C.J. said, "But I'll be ready."

His face cracked a smile.

"I'm sure you will be."

Fran joined them.

"Hey, are you starting to put together some master plan to go after Sheriff Butz without me," she said.

Rhonda nodded.

"We were just deciding whether or not to let you in on it."

Fran scowled.

"Just kidding, Fran," Rhonda said, laughing.

Fran narrowed her eyes and flipped back her dark hair.

"Do you want to go another round with me, Red?"

Rhonda snorted.

"Red," she said, "Is that the best you can come up with for a nickname?"

Fran shrugged.

"It just came to me," she said, "If I have some time to think of a better one, I'll change it."

"Well, next time you feel like going another round with me chica loca just let me know," Rhonda said.

Fran's eyes widened.

"What did you just call me?"

"You heard it," Rhonda said, "If I'm 'Red', then you're 'Chica Loca'."

"You think I'm crazy?"

Rhonda took a long look at the other woman.

"Well yeah," she said, "Besides I heard that's what they called you in Bannon lockup."

Fran sighed and then shrugged.

"Just the guards," she said, "No one else would dare."

"Ladies," Matt said, coming between them, "If we're going to work together…"

Fran grimaced.

"Don't mean we have to play together," she said.

Rhonda folded her arms.

"Damn straight," she said.

"We're not playing if we go up against these guys," C.J. said quietly, "They've already killed four women who tried to escape."

Fran looked down at the ground and then back up at them. C.J. thought she saw a tear form in her eye but maybe it was the lighting.

"More than that," Fran said, nearly at a whisper.

Matt looked directly at her.

"What do you mean?"

She licked her lip.

"I mean that every woman who tried to escape from Sheriff Butz was never seen again."

Rhonda nodded.

"She means that Butz and his friend Piser and their friends have probably murdered up to a dozen or more women."

C.J. looked up at both of them, shocked. Fran just shook her head.

"Don't be shocked," she said, "The way you were acting, you would have been one of them soon enough."

"Because I didn't want to go along with the program," C.J. said.

"No one does," Rhonda said, "but you fought back."

"I didn't see it as a choice," C.J. said.

Fran shrugged.

"Then you've clearly known something better," she said, "Most of the women haven't had that chance."

"Like you," C.J. said.

"I've had it better than most," Fran said, "I'm surprised they kept me along as long as they did."

Matt looked at them thoughtfully.

"How long did he keep most of the women," he said, "The ones who went with the program."

Rhonda looked at Fran.

"Until their cases came up for trial at the county seat," Rhonda said, "Of course, if there was a backlog in cases that could take a while or so they always told us."

"And the sheriff pushed for lighter sentences if the ladies did what he wanted," Matt guessed.

Fran nodded.

"Some tradeoff," she said, "but more women than you think would just take the deal to put the whole nightmare behind them."

"I'm not surprised," C.J. said, "Maybe I would have done the same thing if I'd been there longer. I just knew I couldn't do it."

"Me neither," Rhonda said, brushing her hands, "but I didn't slap anyone like you did and I didn't knock anyone out."

"They both deserved it," C.J. said.

"Are you going to tell the judge that when they haul your butt into court," Fran said.

C.J. grew silent, looking at her hands.

"If I have to, I will."

Fran chuckled.

"Yeah right, and when they swear you in, what name are you going to use?"

C.J. remained silent.

"When they ask you where you were from or what you did for a living," Fran continued, "What are you going to say then?"

"I don't know," C.J. said.

"Ladies, no one's going to jail on murder charges," Matt said, "I know once we get a copy of the full autopsy report, what killed Piser won't have anything to do with any of you."

Fran looked skeptical.

"How do you know that without having been there and without seeing it?"

"I don't need to do either," he said, "I know C.J.'s no killer unless it's in self-defense and in this case, I believe she just hit him hard enough to get away."

"If she knocked him out and he couldn't escape from the fire, then that means she's responsible for his death," Fran said, "not that I give a damn that Piser's dead but that's how the law's going to see it."

"I'm pretty sure that Piser died with some help from his partners," Matt said, "His high profile at the state capitol made him a liability to the rest of them being incriminated."

C.J. nodded.

"They were trying to destroy his ranch house through arson," she said, "and he was in it."

Fran folded her arms.

"Well how are you going to prove that to anyone, let alone a judge?"

"That's where the work begins," Matt said, "but we're going to have to get back there to do most of it."

"How are we going to do that," Rhonda said, "Our faces might be all over the place."

"Very carefully," Matt said, "and we'll start with my office in L.A. I'm going to call Chris, my receptionist and tell her that we're coming and to start doing some preliminary work for us."

"What can she do," Rhonda said.

"We have a computer there that has access to a special database which can get us access to all kinds of information on these characters and what they've been up to these past years."

"A computer can tell you all that?"

He nodded.

"This one can," he said, "Unfortunately, C.J.'s the best at using it."

C.J. bit her lip.

"I can give it a try," she said, "Maybe my skills will come back to me like they have in other ways already."

"Okay," he said, "I hope so because I think Baby likes you best."

Rhonda and Fran looked at each other.

"Baby," Rhonda asked.

Fran just shook her head.

"You are some strange people," she said, "Is this because you don't have kids of your own?"

C.J. looked deep in thought.

"No," Matt said, "Baby's part of a larger system which created it."

Rhonda nodded.

"That makes some sense," she said, "Don't pay any attention to Fran. She's never learned any manners."

Fran glared back.

Matt smiled.

"Well, I hope when C.J. sees it, she'll remember her amazing skills at extracting information from it," he said.

So did she.

She wanted very much to find out more about the life she had led so she could fit right back into it. Right now, she felt as if she were in limbo, caught inside a person she didn't really know and beginning to be struck by feelings and sometimes even memories she didn't understand. She wanted everything to make sense again. But then what if she did get her identity back and wind up going to prison for something she did while she had amnesia? She wrapped her arms around herself.

"You tired," Matt asked, "It's getting late."

She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said' "In fact, I think I'd like to stay out here a while longer."

"Okay," he said, "I'll just be in the kitchen."

* * *

Rhonda and Fran watched him return inside the cabin.

"I don't know how he can be so sure that this is going to work out," Fran said.

"He seems like a man filled with confidence," C.J. noted, "and that's a trait that I'm sure has served him very well."

"It could get us all killed," Fran said, "These men mean business. We don't even know how many of us are still alive."

C.J. studied the other two women.

"I trust him and his judgment," she said, "I know he's not going to put us in a situation that's going to be more dangerous than it has to be."

"Oh and how do you know that again," Fran said, "You don't remember much about him."

C.J. knew that what Fran said was true but she didn't think about this it really mattered how much she remembered about her history with him.

"I just know," she said, simply, "I can't explain it more than that."

"That's great," Fran said, throwing up her arms.

Rhonda put her hands on her hips.

"What's with you Fran," she said, "One moment you're on board with us, the next you're threatening to stomp off."

"I'm not leaving," Fran said, "I'm just concerned about my life. I want to come through this in one piece so I can mess up my life some more."

Rhonda had to chuckle.

"I think if we stick together, you'll have a much better chance of living long enough to do that."

C.J. took it one step beyond that.

"Why do you assume you're going to screw up?"

Fran just shook her head at her.

"Because I always do," she said, "I've been screwing up or screwed over my whole life."

"Well, you can change that," C.J. said, "There's always time to start over."

Fran laughed derisively.

"Great wisdom coming from an amnesiac," she said.

C.J. sighed.

"I don't have a choice," she said, "I may have to start over with only enough information about what I'll be leaving behind to really miss it."

"I'm sure Matt could fill in the gaps," Fran said.

"I don't want him to have to do that," C.J. said, "He's got his own life to live."

Rhonda shook her hair out.

"Yeah but you're a part of it," she said, "I can tell that without really knowing him."

"Sometimes I feel like I am," C.J. said, "Other times, I feel like a stranger to him."

"That must be really wierd," Rhonda mused.

"I just wish it would all come back to me," C.J. said, "I never know what to say from one moment to the next."

* * *

The two of them sat at a diner near the university eating breakfast. But Matt didn't dig into his omelet with the usual enthusiasm. C.J. watched him pick at his plate for a while.

"So where's Nichole," she asked.

His fork stopped moving but he still looked at his plate.

"She said we need to see other people," he said.

That surprised C.J.

"Oh," she said, "Sorry."

He stuck his fork back in his food.

"I can't blame her," she said, "With all the time I spent with football, school work and being tutored by you, she said she never got to see me."

C.J. sipped her coffee.

"Look, if you want to cut back on the tutoring…"

He shook his head.

"No, you've really helped me," he said, "My exams have been better."

She tilted her head.

"But that doesn't have much to do with the tutoring," she said, "You're very smart and now that you're applying yourself more…"

He smiled.

"I enjoy the tutoring sessions," he said, "Good food and better company."

She looked down at her plate.

"Why don't you explain how important these things are to Nichole," she said, "Maybe she'd rethink her position."

"I don't think I'm going to get anywhere doing that," he said.

"Why?"

"Because I think a large part of the problem is that she's jealous of my spending so much time with you."

C.J.'s brows lifted.

"Really," she said, "Why would she think that? We're just friends."

"We've had a couple…discussions about it already," he admitted.

"Then maybe we should cut our time back."

Matt shook his head.

"No, if she understood how much my studies were, she'd understand why we're spending that time together."

C.J. bit her lip and looked at her plate. Matt could have sworn he saw something flash in her eye for a moment but it was gone. She forced a smile on her face.

"Oh…" she said, "Well, I was going to wait a while to tell you this but I might have less time available soon."

Matt frowned.

"Why," he said.

"I've decided to take a summer research assistant position with a professor who teaches at Harvard Law School," she said, "and I'm going to be spending a lot of spare time from school and work getting ready."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Who is this guy," he said.

She sighed, after seeing the expression on his face.

"He's a well known Constitutional Law professor," she said, "He's on the faculty there and he gives lectures all over the world."

"So you applied and got the position?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, it was a long process," she said, "but he picked me out of over 200 applicants."

"Why wouldn't he," Matt said, "You're the most qualified person of all of them and you've wanted to go to Harvard since I've known you so this could be a great opportunity."

She smiled at that for real.

"Yeah, I really want to do this," she said, "but preparing for it is going to cut into a lot of my free time from studies, my job…"

He nodded.

"I get the picture," he said, "If you don't have enough free time to tutor me, I'll understand."

"I still want to do it, but maybe it's just better for all concerned to cut the hours back," C.J. said, "then Nichole won't give you such a hard time."

Matt frowned.

"C.J. I don't want you to…"

* * *

She blinked her eyes and she saw the other two women staring at her.

"You look like you just got back from some place," Fran noted.

"I think I did," C.J. said, "I remembered something from college. I was tutoring Houston, I don't know in what…"

Fran rolled her eyes.

"I can only imagine."

Rhonda admonished her with a facial expression to be quiet.

C.J. found her cheeks flushing at what Fran said, but she shook her head.

"No, it was in some class we were both taking," she said, "He played varsity football and I tutored him."

"Now that's a thrilling picture worth recalling," Fran said.

Rhonda ignored her.

"Did you remember anything else?"

C.J. wrinkled her brow, as she tried to reel in what had just slipped away.

"I think I was telling about an internship I had lined up for the summer with a professor from Harvard," she said.

"Your alma mater right," Rhonda asked.

"Said so on that shirt you were wearing the other day," Fran said.

C.J. rubbed her head, trying hard to recall anything else from that conversation she had with Matt but drew a blank.

"I don't know what else…," she said, "but I doubt it was significant. But it's not like I can pick and choose the memories. They come to me of their own accord. I can't control them."

Rhonda shrugged.

"Well, maybe the rest will come to you later," she said.

"Houston and I, I guess we were always close friends," she said, "But I don't feel like I know much about him."

"How did you feel during that memory," Rhonda said.

Fran looked sharply at Rhonda.

"Why are you playing like you're some shrink and poking around in her mind," she said, "Not all memories are worth remembering and some are pretty meaningless anyway."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"Well maybe if the less important memories will lead to the ones that matter more," she said.

Fran raised a brow.

"And where did you learn that, Ms Freud?"

C.J. just looked at the both of them, while trying to reach further into her mind to grab at anything that might help her remember her life. She ran her hand through her hair and then looked at it, wondering if this was a mannerism she picked up from her forgotten life.

"I'd just like to remember anything," she said, "I don't think there's anything worse than not having any memories of your life at all."

Fran's face looked somber.

"Oh yes there is," she said, "Like I said, not everything's worth remembering and some memories are better left buried."

"But those memories still exist somewhere," C.J. countered, "and they could still be influencing me, my actions whether I know what they are or not."

Fran shook her head.

"Look, you can't force your memory to return," Fran said, "so you might be stuck with what you got and just have to live with it. Most of the time life sucks and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I don't believe that," C.J. said.

"How would you even know," Fran answered, "Your memory of what life even means being as short as it is now."

"I just know," C.J. said, "I don't know how I do but I know there's a lot of good things to counter the bad."

Fran gave her a dismissive look.

"Maybe there was in your life," she said, "but you don't have it anymore do you?"

C.J. grew silent not sure how to respond but she saw the hint of weary sadness in the other woman's eyes, the only trace of it she would ever show.

"I'm going to get it back," she said, "Or I'm going to start over. I'm not giving up in returning to my life."

Fran shrugged and turned away. Rhonda glanced at her back and then looked at C.J.

"So are your memories guiding your responses," she asked.

C.J. sighed.

"I think reacting in situations without knowing why I'm doing it has already gotten me into trouble," C.J. said.

Rhonda perked up in attention.

"Oh?"

C.J. felt heat rise into her face.

"Never mind," she said abruptly.

"Is it something important," Rhonda said, "Something that impacts all of us or just you?"

C.J. paced.

"No, it's not about you or Fran," she said, "Just me and…someone else."

"Someone like the man inside the cabin?"

C.J.'s silence answered Rhonda's question.

"Well, just because you didn't have a…relationship with him in your old life doesn't mean you can't have one in this one," Rhonda said.

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"Who said I wanted one," she said, "If we were friends, best friends before, then I'm fine with that now."

Fran snorted.

"Yeah right."

C.J. met her eyes with her own.

"Yeah, that's right," she said, evenly, "He's someone I would definitely want as a best friend."

Fran's mouth curled up at the corners.

"What about as a lover?"

C.J. just looked back at her.

"My view of men is pretty dim right now Fran," she said, "I think I'd rather keep the rest of them at a distance."

Fran smirked.

"And you said there were good things in life," she said.

Rhonda crossed her arms.

"That's not what she meant," she said, "and there are…good men out there. They're just rare to find, that's all but I think Matt here is one of them."

"Maybe," Fran said, "or maybe he's like the rest."

C.J. objected to that without knowing what drove her to do so. She just knew Fran was wrong.

"No, I don't think he's like the rest," she said, "I think he's already proven that."

Rhonda nodded.

"I agree," she said, "or I would have left here a long time ago."

"Maybe we should have," Fran grumbled.

Rhonda just rolled her eyes.

"Are you crazy Fran," she said, "and wind up dead like those three other women?"

"There's plenty more dead where they came from," Fran said, "and we'd be among them if we hadn't escaped but we can't afford to sit around and let them find us."

"We're not doing that," Rhonda said, "We're going to have a plan…with Matt's help."

C.J. nodded.

"And Baby's going to help us."

"Yes, this super computer Matt told us about," Fran said, "Must be really something."

"It is," C.J. said, "At least I think so."

"Matt said you were the pro with getting information out of it," Rhonda said.

"If I was, I don't remember anything about it."

"Maybe you will when we get there," Rhonda said, "Maybe it's like you said. It will come back to you like other skills have."

"I hope so," C.J. said, "Anything to get this nightmare with Butz and his men over with. It's time to bring their operation to an end."

* * *

Later, she sat in the living room while Fran and Rhonda sat arguing in another room about some subject she couldn't quite make out. She knew that they would never be the best of friends but everything one did, rubbed the wrong way with the other. Matt entered the room from the hallway.

"What are they fighting about anyway," he asked.

"I have no idea," C.J. said, "It's been like that since they met. At least they're not fist fighting."

"So how are you feeling," he said, sitting across from where she sat on the couch.

She shrugged.

"I'm feeling fine," she said, "Really, I know I was pretty sick but I'm better now."

"Uh huh," he said, "You still should get some rest before we head into L.A."

"To talk to Baby," she said.

"Yeah, and to find out whatever we can get on Butz and his buddies before we head off to bring them down."

She looked at him, noting the determination in his voice. It felt familiar to her somehow and reassuring.

"I hope we can do that," she said, "I want to end that chapter of my life."

He studied her face, trying to look beyond the confusion that it expressed when she talked about the present.

"And then what are you going to do," he said, "I hope you're going to give me a chance to help you remember your life here."

She paused for a while, emotions swimming through her.

"I don't know what to do," she said, "I don't know what the right thing is to do."

"You need to be surrounded with people who care about you, C.J.," he said, "Being alone somewhere trying to put the pieces together isn't going to bring you home."

"I know," she said, "but I don't know how to fill the shoes of a person I don't even remember…except bits and pieces that hit me at random moments."

"Maybe not so random," he said, "Maybe there's something triggering what memories you remember."

She sighed.

"Maybe," she said, "I'm still very confused about you and where you fit in my life. The one that I had."

He smiled.

"I know," he said, "and I hope what I said earlier didn't make you uncomfortable or hurt your feelings."

She shook her head.

"No," she said, "You did the right thing to set me straight on our relationship."

"It wasn't easy," he said.

"No I guess not," she said, "but thank you for looking out for me."

"I will always look out for you," he said, "Whatever you decide."

"I can't make any decision until I know I'm not going to jail on a murder charge," she said.

He saw the look of worry she tried to hide in her eyes.

"You're not going to jail," he said, "Those men including Butz will have cells waiting for them for what they've done."

She looked away for a moment.

"I hope so," she said.

"I know so," he said.

* * *

A thousand miles away, Sheriff Butz sat in his office on the phone to his contacts in the state police department.

What he was hearing on the phone made him awfully nervous.

"What do you mean your office might be doing an investigation," he said.

"That's just what I heard," his source said, "and it's already been set in motion up here."

"Damn," Butz said, "So when should I expect them to knock the door down?"

"Any time now."

"Well, what about Piser's murder," Butz said, "You know it's one of those gals running around free right now who killed him."

"That's part of the investigation," the source said, "to find out who really did kill him."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Just saying that my bosses here think it just might be one of your guys trying to cover up a crime," the source said, "They're sending in a ballistics team to pick up the bullet retrieved from Piser's rather charred body."

A chill ran through Butz at those words.

"So they'll be able to trace the slug back to the gun it came from," he said.

"It's a bit chewed up from its trip through Piser's body which won't make it easy but yeah, that's the gist of it."

Butz flipped through some papers in the rather large pile of them on his desk.

"Why aren't these inmates who escaped my facility being investigated," he said, "After all, Piser's murder and their escape were clearly planned out in advance so it's premeditated murder."

"Don't be getting all mad at me," the source said, "I'm just the messenger and I'm telling you to get your house in order before my bosses' men show up at your door."

"But what about the women," Butz pressed.

The source paused.

"Both the feds and the state police are looking for them. APBs have been dispatched and we have uncovered three of them so far, all dead from gunshot wounds."

"How tragic," Butz said.

"How suspicious was actually what my bosses were discussing."

"We…we have nothing to do with that," Butz said, "These gals are all criminals and it's a dangerous world out there."

"You might want to save that for the judge if you don't fix your mess," the source said, "and you better make damn sure none of it leaks back up here."

The phone clicked off and Butz stared at his own phone, wondering what the hell he was going to do. He pushed some numbers on it to contact his hired men to step up their efforts to find and eliminate the rest of the women who had escaped from Piser's ranch. The moment they were all accounted for and dead, he could begin breathing easier again.

* * *

C.J. tossed and turned in her bed. She felt exhausted but sleep eluded her, as her mind reached out seeking memories to grab and hold onto, anything that would help her remember her life. She had felt drowsy lying on the couch and had told Matt she was turning in. She wanted to be rested and ready for whatever the morning brought. They still had one more day until they headed to the detective agency's office in L.A. C.J. hoped fervently that visiting a place where she had spent much of her time triggered something useful.

* * *

The two of them drove down the highway towards the horizon, one that would always remain just ahead of them tantalizingly out of reach. Julia studied the map while C.J. drove.

"So where are we going," Julia asked, trying to decide which map to look at among the pile sitting on her lap.

"I don't care," C.J. said, "Anywhere but Boston. I definitely don't want to see that place for a while."

Julia looked perplexed.

"But you're going to law school at Harvard in several months," she said, "You are, aren't you?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "Maybe it's not where I should be."

"Why the change," Julia said, "Your phone call didn't make a whole lot of sense."

C.J. sighed and her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Maybe it's just not the right law school for me."

"What the hell are you saying," Julia said, as several maps fell to the floor forgotten, "You wanted to go there as long as I've known you."

C.J. remained quiet for a while.

"Things are different now," she said.

Julia harrumphed.

"I can see that," she said, "I just can't see why."

"There's no one reason why," C.J. said, "It's complicated."

"Oh yes there is," Julia countered, "It wouldn't have anything to do with Professor Lockwood would it?"

C.J. blanched but said nothing.

"I know it does," Julia said, "I also know that you and he were more than professor and intern."

C.J. turned her attention straight ahead.

"Whatever there was between us is over now," she said.

Julia picked up a map and started looking at it.

"Good," she said, "You came to your senses before you got too entangled in a bad situation."

C.J. hesitated.

"Not quite."

* * *

The images changed to where the two women sat on queen-sized beds inside a motel room.

"This is a great place you picked to stay," Julia said, looking at the cracks in the ceiling.

"It's off the road a bit," C.J. said, "and it accepts cash."

Julia narrowed her eyes.

"You really did want to get away from it all to do some thinking," she said, "So here we are in the middle of…somewhere and are you doing that thinking?"

C.J. sighed.

"I don't do any thinking right now," she said, getting off the bed, "I want to go off and get some dinner, have some fun."

Julia shrugged.

"Well that's easy," she said, "You know I'm always up for a good time. Let's go."

"Wait, I've got to check my phone messages again," C.J. said.

"Again," Julia said, "I doubt this professor is going to be calling you."

C.J. picked up the phone and dialed her own phone. Julia stood next to her shaking her head.

"You want to get away from it all but you're checking your phone for messages?"

"Shhhh," C.J. said, listening to her answering machine, and then she hung up the phone.

"Damn," she said, sitting back on the bed. Julia sat down beside her.

"What is it," she said, "Did Professor Lockwood actually call?"

C.J. shook her head.

"No, but Houston did."

* * *

C.J. woke up and tried to catch the images she had just dreamed about before they retreated back inside her subconscious. She laid back, frustrated that when memories did emerge, they collided with others and she didn't know which were real and which weren't. She felt the warmth of friendship she had with this woman named Julia who had to be someone she knew a long time, along with a fleeting hint of sadness that lingered.

What had led to her and Julia taking off in her car and where had they been going? And why had she been upset to know that Matt had called her, trying to locate her? How did that fit with the man who had given up his cabin and himself to helping her and two women he had never met? She had so many questions, no answers and she knew that with time, more would be piled on the list.

She sighed, trying to get back to sleep but it was a long time in coming.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 --of this FF story is up. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. woke up the next morning, feeling much better and more ready to take on just about anything than she had the previous day. The cabin seemed quiet as she climbed out of bed and walked to the window. The beautiful sight of the wooded area behind the building greeted her as she looked outside. She felt that she should remember it but every time she tried, she drew a blank just like with nearly everything else. Not sure what to do with herself, she decided to go take a walk before the rest of the household came to life. She looked inside the closet and found some sweats and a sweatshirt to change into that fit her perfectly. Her own clothes. That meant she spent a lot of time at Matt's cabin enough to keep some of her wardrobe there. Maybe it served as a quiet refuge from the chaos of life as a high-powered attorney. Some place to slip away to when the world around her became too overwhelming.

She slipped outside the back door and started down a dirt path until she reached a grove of trees. After stepping through its entrance, she heard the birds calling each other and the light wind rustle through the branches at the tops of the trees. The air felt crisp on her cheeks and she pulled her hair back behind her as she kept walking to where she would find the lake.

* * *

"So how many fish are you going to catch this time," he asked her as they both sat down on the banks of the small lake.

"More than you," she answered back quickly, playing with the line on her pole.

"Last time was a fluke," he said, casting his line in the lake.

"Last time, one of us ended up in the lake," she said laughing.

Matt tried to flash a look of consternation but failed.

"I did land the fish," he said, "and he was the granddaddy of all trout."

She cocked her head at him.

"Maybe, but he nearly had your measure."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Did you come all the way here to criticize my angling skills?"

She shook her head.

"No, I'm just here to keep your mind off of Nadia."

He sighed.

"She's got a great job in Memphis," he said, "She'd be a fool not to take it."

"She's a fool to have broken up with you through your answering machine," C.J. said, "instead of face to face."

Matt grimaced, not wanting to be reminded.

"So how are things going with Jason," he asked.

She looked up at him from her fishing pole, surprised.

"Oh…fine," she said, "He's on a business trip. He got a new account."

Matt cast his line back, breaking the smooth surface of the lake.

"He travels a lot for his job?"

She flicked her pole back.

"This is going to be his last trip for a while," she said, "Then he'll spend most of his time in town."

"What did he think about you spending a weekend out with me at the cabin?"

Her face changed.

"I didn't tell him."

* * *

C.J. frowned as the vision which came into her head vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. She figured that Matt and she must have spent a lot of hours by the lake, probably doing as much talking as fishing. On one of these trips, he had been unceremoniously dropped by a girlfriend and she had lied to a man she had been having a relationship with about spending the weekend with her best friend. She felt that amnesia had robbed her of most of the back story and what memories did return seemed to muddle the picture more than anything else.

She continued walking towards the lake towards the flowers that Matt had showed her during their most recent trip down here. She had felt something stirring in her mind when he related the story but nothing more definite. Most of her memories of her experiences at the cabin including the lake still eluded her no matter how hard she tried to access them except for some of the more unwanted memories which tried to slip into her mind instead.

Memories of people like Christian Dean who had hunted her down where she had been packed up and sent off to hide while Matt and Lt. Hoyt and assorted police officers had tried to apprehend him. At one point, he had grabbed a knife out of the tackle box that she had brought to the lake to go fishing with her bodyguard but had dropped when she saw him. All she had wanted to do while holed up in Matt's cabin was to forget about Carl's murder and Matt putting himself in danger waiting inside her house to confront the nightmare from her past who had chased her out of it into hiding.

She remembered enough of that tragic time in her life to know that she had tried so hard to forget what she didn't want to remember but she had failed each time she tried. Yet now, she tried just as hard to remember her past and now remained unable to do so, never quite getting within reach. And she had discovered in the past several days that of the two predicaments, nothing was worse than drawing a blank slate especially when it came to trying to remember her best friend. What she did remember of him only perplexed her. The memories of him were so haphazard like cards following randomly out of a deck that she still didn't feel like she knew him.

She heard the branches crackle beneath her feet as she reached a rock where she felt people often sat on when coming down there to reflect on life and await any wisdom that the lake might provide them. Sitting down on it, she wrapped her arms around her knees and looked out into the water.

* * *

"Are you ready to go," he asked softly.

She broke from her reverie and turned to face him.

"I have just one thing I want to do."

He thought he knew what but waited until she told him in her own words.

"I want to walk to the lake."

He nodded, without asking why. After all, he had once been standing in her shoes at an impasse between wanting to leave and wanting to leave with the right picture in her mind of the place she left.

He grabbed her hand and she wrapped her fingers in his own and they started walking.

"I just want to see it before we leave," she explained, "I don't want to leave it like this."

"C.J., you don't have to…"

She sighed.

"I know," she said, "I know they picked up his body and that the police officer's going to be okay but I can't leave this place like this with Christian Dean forever defining it."

Matt watched her fight to control her emotions. He knew she loved the mountain, the woods and the lake as much as he did. And that she didn't want her many fond memories of staying there to be forever tainted by her latest one. He didn't want that either.

"C.J., you just did what you had to do," Matt said, "It was either you or him."

"I know that," she said, "but I never took a life before. I know it was in self-defense but somehow that doesn't change things."

He understood and she knew he would. Squeezing her hand, he let her know that as they continued walking towards the flat rock. She sat down and patted it to let him know she wanted him to join her. He did.

"It's beautiful," she said, "It looks like nothing could ever disturb it."

"It looks like a perfect fishing day," he said, "Smooth as glass and the sun not too hot."

She smiled.

"The water's probably too cold," she said, "and that's important to know because that's where you usually end up."

He raised his brow.

"Not alone."

"Well not last time," she said, "and I wasn't as mad as I sounded."

"I thought you would push me back in as soon as we got out."

She shook her head.

"I'd wait until your clothes were dried off first."

"We've had a lot of interesting times here," he said.

She looked at him.

"Mostly good times."

He caught the wistfulness in her voice.

"C.J., we're going to have many more good times here," he said, "There's no reason that has to change."

"I know," she said, "I just had to remember for myself. I was so mad at him for trying to steal my life and all my good memories of this place but I have to let that go."

"Not right away," he said, "I think you're entitled to feeling upset about it for a while."

She rubbed her forehead.

"Houston, it takes too much energy," she said, "I would much rather just forget…"

* * *

C.J. blinked her eyes and it brought her back to the present where she sat on the same rock. This time, alone. Was her life like that all the time, with wanting to forget her bad memories and stash them away where they couldn't be found? If that were the truth, had she finally succeeded? If so, she wished she could take it and them back. Because the cost of banishing the bad memories had cost her the good ones and she wanted to get out of the prison she had built. Anything to climb out of the void that now isolated her from herself and those who loved her.

The memories she had instead, accumulated during the past few days might have filled her heart with bitterness, if it hadn't been for Matt.

She wondered how he felt about her, having to deal with all the confusion in her life. Yet he appeared to embrace it without expecting anything in return. So different than the men who defined the few days she remembered of her life. She knew he'd put himself in danger to help her and she didn't know how she felt about that. She didn't know how she should feel. What if she never got her memory back and the day came when he would realize that to her, he would always remain someone she had just met rather than a person she had known most of her life.

She picked up a pebble and skipped it across the lake, until it finally disappeared beneath its surface as if it had never been. She knew the feeling.

Matt looked at his watch. He had been up for a while, trying to fix some breakfast in the kitchen after realizing that C.J. had left. Most likely, she had gone for a walk, he thought, trying to trigger more memories of time she had spent here. Fortunately, there weren't that many minefields up in the mountains He went to the refrigerator to get some eggs when the phone rang. He picked it up, figuring it was probably Chris.

"Hi Chris," he said.

"Hi Matt," she said, "I came in early to work on doing some background on what's been going on in Bannon County."

"What'd you find out?"

He heard some papers being rustled in the background.

"They're not bringing the search this far west," she said, "I think they're focused on Vegas. But C.J. is being identified as a person of interest in the homicide investigation involving Semour Piser."

He paused.

"I think we figured that would happen," he said, "It just means we'll have to be discrete when we drop in the office tomorrow."

"So you'll be able to leave the cabin then?"

"Yeah, C.J.'s doing much better and she'll be strong enough to start dealing with this and L.A.'s the first step."

Silence greeted him for a moment.

"So she really can't remember who she is or anything?"

"No, but she's getting some memories back slowly but they're all hit and miss."

"Does she remember you?"

"Not very much," he said, "but she trusts me. I don't know about the other two women but she does. At least enough to know I'll do anything to help her."

"It must be hard Matt," Chris said, "to not even recognize yourself when you look in the mirror let alone not remember your life."

"She'll get it back Chris," he said, "but we've got to help her."

"Well you know that everyone at the office will do whatever you need."

He smiled on his end.

"Thanks Chris," he said, "I'll call you tomorrow morning just before we leave the cabin."

"Take care Matt," she said, before hanging up.

He looked at the phone before hanging up on his end. He knew that Chris and the rest of his employees at the office would drop everything to work on helping him and C.J. They were all members of his extended family, with most of them tied to either Houston Enterprises or his investigative agency for years.

He heard footsteps and saw Rhonda walk in, dressed and ready to go.

"Where's C.J.?"

"She's probably out on a walk," he said, "She always took one every morning before breakfast when she stayed here."

Rhonda scratched her head.

"But she doesn't remember anything," she said, "Are you sure she'll be okay?"

Matt turned on the oven burners.

"She'll be fine," he said, "She might have forgotten how much she dislikes people hovering her but I haven't."

"Well, I guess there's nothing dangerous up here," Rhonda conceded, "Unless there are bears."

"Plenty of them but they usually don't bother people," Matt said, "but it's the two-legged animals I'm worried about and it's unlikely that they know we're here."

Rhonda wrapped her arms around herself, looking suddenly vulnerable.

"I hope not. The thought of going back…"

"No one's going back," Matt said, "We're going to bring those men and their little operation down."

She turned away and walked towards the refrigerator.

"Well yeah, maybe that will happen," she said, "Say, is there any juice left?"

He gestured to the frig.

"Sure, there's plenty of orange juice," Matt said, "Help yourself."

She pulled a carton out of the frig and got herself a glass.

"So you've got your people busy in the city helping us," she said, sitting down at the table.

He poured some blended eggs on the skillet.

"They've already gotten started," he said, "and tomorrow, we'll get there and warm up Baby and get her going."

She chuckled.

"I still can't believe you named your computer."

Matt shrugged.

"Actually C.J. did," he said, "She used to name all her plants."

Rhonda snorted.

"Sounds like a hint to me," she said, "about what she wants."

Matt nearly dropped the spatula.

"What?"

"All women want that, the whole family and kids bit," Rhonda said, sipping her juice, "Of course, the really deluded ones think they can cram a job in there as well."

"Many women can," Matt said, "Some have no choice."

Rhonda sighed.

"My mother tried that and look how I turned out," she said, "and I'm the cream of the crop in my family."

He paused.

"That must have been difficult," he said, "for you and your mother but it's your own choice what you do with your life."

"Oh really," she said, "Well if that's true, what about C.J.? She did all the right things and look at her now."

"She's going to get everything she's worked hard for back," he said, "and if that includes a family some day, she'll have that too."

"What about you," she said, "What are your plans for your life? You're handsome, you're rich, you have the world at your fingertips. Everything a man could want…"

"Not quite," he said quietly.

"Okay well maybe not everything but you got a lot more than most people," she said.

"None of the things that money can buy matter if you don't have a family to love," he said, "and I lost most of mine. My mother when I was a little boy. But I gained a lot too."

She nodded.

"Yes, your extended family," she said, "and C.J. even if she never gets her memory back."

"if she doesn't, she'll still have people who love her," Matt said, "She won't be alone."

"But she'll have to get to know all of you over again which will be difficult," Rhonda said, "you most of all."

Matt started to answer and realized he didn't have any easy one to give her. Some of Rhonda's comments had hit their mark. Just as he began to take a stab at it, Fran wandered in.

"Rhonda, why did you use up all the hot water," she mumbled, "You're worse here than you were in lockup."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"I had to get my share before you hogged it all," she said.

Fran looked at the stove.

"Is that breakfast?"

Matt looked at her.

"It will be."

She eyed his omelets critically.

"Not without something to spice it up."

She rummaged around the cupboard.

"I know they're here somewhere," she said, "I found canned ones but out in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing else."

"What did you get Fran," Rhonda asked.

Fran found her can.

"Jalapeños," she said with a smile.

Fran rarely smiled and if some super-hot peppers were enough to get her to do so, Rhonda wasn't about to complain.

"That sounds perfect," she said.

"Give me a few," Matt said, "and I'll save some for C.J. She would eat them straight up all day if she had them."

Fran gave up the can after opening it.

"Where'd she go?"

"She's out taking her usual morning walk," Rhonda answered, "But Matt says she'll be just fine."

"Why wouldn't she be," Fran said, "Butz and his men aren't around are they?"

"Not yet," Rhonda said, "but you can never tell with him."

"Ladies," Matt said, "My office manager, Chris called this morning and no one's searching west of Vegas yet."

Fran's eyes lit up.

"Damn, good thing we didn't go try to hide there."

"But Fran wanted to," Rhonda said, "She wanted to hit the craps table."

Fran glowered.

"Rhonda, do you want my fist up your nose again?"

Rhonda waved her hand dismissively.

"You wouldn't even do it the first time you tried."

"I would have if the deputies hadn't pulled us apart," Fran retorted.

"Ladies, you're going to have to put aside your animosity," Matt said, "because we're going to need to work together."

"I have no problem with that," Rhonda said, "I want to nail these guys. But Fran here…"

"Drop it Rhonda," Fran said, "I want to get them too for all the women they got and the ones who can't fight for themselves."

Rhonda bowed her head and nodded.

"I'll go for that."

Matt looked at both women critically.

"I'll need you both to be at the top of your game," he said, "C.J. might be having some problems if she keeps having these memory flashes. The wrong one at the wrong time…"

"I get it," Fran said, "could get us all in a whole lot of trouble."

"She won't endanger us," Matt said, "but she might, herself."

"Maybe not Matt," Rhonda said, "She really was the one who took the lead in getting us out of Arizona and she found her way here."

"She did okay," Fran agreed, "but what about you? Are you going to spend your time trying to protect her or just allow her to do her best with what she has to bring those men down?"

"She's got a point Matt," Rhoda conceded, "You can't protect her from everything. She can take care of herself."

Matt nodded.

"I know that," he said, "But it makes her vulnerable and that's what concerns me."

* * *

C.J. tried to push him back and splashed water over him. He had pulled her into the lake when he had fallen backwards. She had gone under the water and swam around him only to splash water at him from the other side.

"No fair Parsons," he said, "The whole thing was an accident."

Standing up, she folded her arms.

"I bet," she said, "You just happened to stumble over what?"

He looked sheepish.

"A rock," he said, "at least I think it was one."

"What rock," she asked looking around.

He pushed her out into deeper water. She tried to reward him by splashing water at him while treading in it.

"Houston, my sundress," she protested and then looked down, "it's…see through."

Her face flushed and she forgot about the chill of the water. He approached her until they were both out in the deeper water.

"You cold?"

She looked at him.

"You care?"

"Come over here," he said.

"Why, so you can do more damage?"

"To keep you warm," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She almost protested, not sure whether to trust him but the warmth of his body felt nice. It would feel nicer if she placed her arms around him. And she found out she was right. So they tread water while holding onto each other, their faces only inches apart. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious and couldn't look at him. He reached with one of his hands to tilt her face towards his.

Her heart beat faster and she swallowed. Then she noticed something wrong.

"My necklace," she said, turning her head around, "Where is it?"

Matt couldn't see it around her neck where she always wore it. It had been a birthday gift from him, a locket where she kept photos of them from their younger days.

"I've got to find it," she said, running her hands through the water to see if she could see its bottom more clearly, but saw only murkiness.

"It must be somewhere in the lake," Matt said, "I'll try to find it."

He left her and dove under the lake searching for it. She knew the chances of ever finding it remained slim but Matt kept trying. She dove several times as well but saw nothing.

"It's gone," she said, in resignation.

"I'm sorry," Matt said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"No I am," she said, "I should haven't worn it swimming."

"I pushed you in the water," Matt said, "Besides we both know you never take it off."

No she didn't, she thought, she always kept it close to her heart.

* * *

C.J. stared at the lake for a long moment, saw the breeze cast the barest of ripples across its surface. She finally stood up and after looking around, jumped in the lake, plunging beneath the murky surface. The water felt frigid and her chest contracted sharply. She pushed her hands to propel her thorough the lake towards its bottom. She tried to look in different directions feeling the air leaving her. Suddenly, she decided to try an area near an underwater rock and saw something hanging off of it. She grabbed it and met some resistance. Her lungs burning, she thought about surfacing but then knew she might never find out if her hands were wrapped around her necklace so she took one final tug and it shook loose, shaking shards of algae away from it. She quickly shot up to the surface of the lake and then after breaking its surface inhaled several huge breaths of air.

She kicked her way to shore, holding onto the necklace and climbed back on the flat rock. She felt chilled but the warmth of the sun began to warm her. Looking at the necklace, she gently wiped off strings of algae and placed it around her neck. She felt joy overload her senses at the realization that a memory she had retrieved from her mind had manifested itself as physical evidence. But the memory of her and Matt puzzled her further. Exactly what had their relationship been?

She got off the rock and began walking to the cabin through the woods. She hoped the emerging heat of the new day would begin drying her clothes which still clung to her.

She slipped in through the back door and found Matt at the stove and Rhonda sitting at the table eating breakfast. When he heard her, Matt turned around and then his eyes widened.

"What happened to you," he said.

He started to approach her. She put her hands up.

"I'm fine," she said, "I was at the lake and I remembered something that happened there with you and me…"

"Like what?"

"When I lost my necklace that you gave me," she said.

"Oh."

"And suddenly I thought about where it might be lying on the bottom of the lake," she said, "so I jumped in and got it."'

"You found it," Matt said, in disbelief.

She nodded and showed it to him. His eyes widened.

"C.J., you lost it when you were 18," he said, "We were in the lake and…"

She smiled.

"I remembered that part," she said, "I remembered you tried to find it."

"I couldn't," he said, then narrowed his eyes, "Where was it?"

"Wedged under a rock not too far from that flat rock," she said, "the one where we liked to sit."

"Yeah, we did spend a lot of time there," he said.

She looked at him and then looked away.

"I've got to get out of these clothes and take a shower," C.J. said.

"I'll save you some breakfast," Matt said.

"Thanks," she said and left him.

Both Fran and Rhonda watched her go.

"She's a strange one," Fran observed.

"Why, because she remembered something from her past?"

Fran rolled her eyes.

"No, because she jumped into the middle of a freezing lake with her clothes on a lark."

Rhonda snorted.

"She was trying to find out if something she remembered was real."

"Seems pretty drastic to me," Fran said, shaking her head.

Rhonda turned her attention to Matt.

"What was so special about that necklace anyway?"

He poured some more eggs on the skillet.

"I gave it to her for her 16th birthday," he said.

"How sweet," Fran said, "Were you like, going steady?"

He shook his head.

"No we were just best friends," he said.

* * *

C.J. got out of the shower, relieved to have cleaned the lake off of her and wrapping a towel around her, went to look for more of her clothing. She found some jeans and a jersey shirt in the dresser. She fingered the necklace, which didn't look too much the worse for wear for having spent 10 years submerged in the lake. Odd, she thought but maybe the rock had protected it somehow. She remembered that C.J. and he had gone up to the mountains for a vacation after graduating from their respective high schools. A few days to be carefree before going their separate ways before rejoining at the same university in the autumn.

Her friend Julia, had been at a performing arts camp and in her usual style, had already snagged a boyfriend named Robert who she mentioned a lot in her letters to C.J. and in several phone calls.

"He's just the most handsome guy in my film class," she said, "He wants to do documentaries around the world which is just the coolest thing isn't it?"

C.J. rolled her eyes affectionately as she listened to her friend talk about him.

"What about you C.J.," Julia said, "You and Matt just got back from your trip to the woods right?"

"Yeah, yesterday,"C.J. said, "We had a great time but I lost my necklace."

"Oh the one he gave you," Julia said, "How awful. Did you ever find it?"

"No," C.J. said, "It's somewhere in the bottom of the lake."

"Lake," Julia said, "You were swimming?"

"Not exactly," C.J. said, "Matt pushed me in and then we had a water fight."

"Who won?"

"No one did," C.J. said, "It was all in fun."

"Did you do anything else for fun?"

C.J. frowned at the tone in her friend's voice.

"Julia, it's not like that between us," she said, "We're just friends."

"Who set that rule," Julia asked, "You or him?"

C.J. felt confused.

"There isn't any rule," she said, "We just don't want to mess up a great friendship."

"Uh-huh," Julia said, "You really believe what you're saying?"

C.J. paused.

"Yes…Yes I do."

But she found herself rubbing her chest where the necklace should be.

Julia, C.J. thought as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. She still didn't recognize her face in the mirror but she remembered her best friend. What had happened to her?

* * *

She walked back in the kitchen where Matt had an omelet waiting for her with jalapeños at the top, which made her smile. She poured herself some orange juice and started picking the peppers off and plopping them in her mouth one by one. Rhonda's mouth opened.

"I guess he's right about how much you love them," she said, "Isn't your mouth on fire?"

C.J. shook her head.

"A little bit spicy," she said, "but very delicious."

Fran just shook her head.

C.J. enjoyed her omelet.

"You're really talented in the kitchen," she told Matt, "not that I'd really know with all my experience but I can tell that you're good."

"Thank you," he said, "I spent a lot of time with the cook while growing up especially when my father was gone on business."

Fran looked at him.

"Just how many servants did you have growing up?"

Matt slipped his own omelet on a plate and sat next to C.J.

"No servants, just ranch hands and those who provided for them, like the cook," Matt said.

"No butlers, no chauffeurs, no maids," Fran continued.

Rhonda looked annoyed.

"Fran could you give it a rest?"

"It's all right," Matt said, "Cleaning women a couple time a week and extra hands during branding season but other than that, everyone pulled their own weight."

"My mama was a cleaning woman," Fran said, "Never worked for any rich guys. Dreamed about it though."

C.J. looked at Matt.

"What time should we head out tomorrow?"

He chewed his toast.

"Early in the morning," Matt said, "Chris will be waiting for us at the office."

"Do you think the police will be looking?"

"I doubt it," Matt said, "but you can never be too careful."

"I hope something on that computer of yours will help us," Rhonda said, "It can find out anything just like you said?"

"Nearly everything there is to find out on anyone," Matt said, "We'll certainly strike it rich with low-lifes like Butz and Piser."

"And I used to be an expert at finding it," C.J. asked.

Matt nodded.

"Maybe I could give it a try," she said.

"Sounds like a good idea," he said.

They all cleared the table and washed the dishes.

"So what do you want to do today," Matt asked.

"Maybe we should all do some hiking," C.J. said, "These mountains are beautiful and if I've seen all the sights before, I don't remember them."

Fran looked dubious.

"Hiking," she said, "here out in the wilderness?"

Rhonda sighed.

"Where else are you going to do it?"

"Inside a shopping mall," Fran said, "sounds a lot safer."

Matt shrugged.

"It's pretty safe out here if you use your common sense, always make sure you're prepared and follow a few rules."

Rhonda thought about it.

"I'm game," she said, "Just point me in the right direction."

"Okay, then let's get ready to go," Matt said, "There should be some hiking boots in the room C.J.'s using."

Fran sighed.

"I know I'm going to regret this," she said, "when we wind up getting treed by a bear."

"Don't forget the wild pigs," Rhonda said.

Fran's eyes widened.

"There's pigs?"

C.J. looked at Matt and touched his hand.

"We'll be ready in a few minutes."

He stood there watching her go.

* * *

Over a thousand miles away, Butz sat in his office steaming. Another search warrant had been served and the agents had just about cleaned him out of what was left of his office.

His lawyer finally called back.

"Hi, this is Butz," the sheriff said, "What took you so long?"

"I had a court hearing on another case," the lawyer said, "Anything I can do for you?"

Butz nearly exploded.

"You can save my job," Butz said, "I'm being investigated by every agency out there since the damned fire. In the meantime, a murderous bunch of female inmates is on the loose."

"Butz, you're being investigated for running a prostitution ring out of your jail," the lawyer said, "Now those are serious charges."

"They are false charges," Butz said, "There's no witnesses to any prostitution. And what about hunting down the bitch who killed Piser?"

"There are no suspects in that case," the lawyer reminded him, "just people of interest the state police want to interview."

"The last person who saw him alive was a woman," Butz said, "and she headed off with two other prisoners out some place west."

"There's an APB out on all the outstanding prison inmates who broke loose," the lawyer said, "but you hired me to deal with your problems and you've got plenty enough to keep a team of attorneys busy."

Butz angrily pushed the pile of papers off his desk which was the only piece of furniture not yet taken by investigators.

"I need you to get the state police to drop their vendetta against me and start focusing on the real criminals," he said, "After all, why were these women in jail in the first place?"

"Well, Butz, the police are investigating that too."

"What is there to investigate," Butz said, "They were all prostitutes, drug addicts or thieves."

"Not all of them," the lawyer said, "and at least several were kidnapped."

"Kidnapped," Butz said, "That's not true. Those women were a danger to themselves and had to be removed from the streets for their own safety."

"One of them an attorney has a friend who put a lot of pressure on the state police to come down on you," the lawyer said, "An investigator out of L.A."

"I know, a Matt Houston," Butz said, "He threatened me in my office several days ago."

"Well, they're going to call for a grand jury soon if they get any solid evidence on you," the lawyer said, "So if I were you, I'd prepare for that."

"I guess I'll have to," Butz said, before hanging up the phone. He then reached inside his wallet for a business card. His own hired hands weren't acting quickly enough to eliminate the women left alive to testify against him so he would have to find someone better who could get the job done. Hopefully, this man would help him. Getting rid of three women and one nosy private investigator before any inquisition could be called couldn't be all that difficult.

He reached for the phone to make the call.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7---Here's the latest chapter to this FF. Sorry it's been so long as reconstructing it hasn't been easy from a lot of loose pages without page numbers, lol. I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

The sun shone down brightly on the mountain trail as the hikers walked up the switchbacks which wound like a snake up its face. Matt looked up at the top of a ridge where a cluster of trees stood. Only about a mile's worth of hiking up the trail until they would reach it.

Despite their lack of experience in the mountains, Fran and Rhonda had kept up pretty well, stopping only to tie shoe laces or to pick leaves off of their clothes. Both appeared to be enjoying themselves. As for C.J., she moved rather deftly up the trail as if she had been doing it her entire life, stopping only to look at a patch of wild flowers or touch the bark of a pine tree.

"It's beautiful up here," she said, "and so peaceful. I never knew a place like this."

Fran snorted.

"You mean you don't remember a place like this," she said.

C.J. nodded.

"I wish I did," she said, "I don't know how I could have forgotten such beauty."

"You'll remember it," Matt said, "You just need some time."

"That's one thing I don't feel like I have," she said, "I feel like it's running out."

"Tomorrow, we're going to go to L.A. and see if we can find some answers," he said.

"I know," she said, "and I just want to enjoy today for what it is, a chance to be surrounded by the beautiful outdoors."

Fran stopped and put her hand on her chest.

"Did you have to pick the toughest trail for us city slickers?"

"Oh stop whining Fran," Rhonda scolded, "Just keep taking some deep breaths. You're not dying or anything."

Fran flashed her an irritated look.

"I think this is way too much fresh air for me," she said, "I'm used to smog."

Rhonda took a deep breath.

"The air is nice, very crisp and clean," she said, "Reminds me of when I was growing up."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"Not another trip down memory lane," she groaned, "I don't know who's worse, you or C.J. and at least she's got an excuse."

They continued up a really arduous switchback.

"Come on ladies," Matt said, "We're almost at the top and the view will be worth it."

They picked up their feet a bit and continued up towards the ridge.

"Is there a spring up there," C.J. asked.

Matt looked at her, surprised.

"Yes there is," he answered, "How did you know?"

She furrowed her brow.

"I just remember something," she said, "A small river…some trees and something else…"

Matt smiled.

"You'll see it when we reach the top."

Rhonda and Fran looked at each other.

"See what," Fran said, "Don't tell me it's a wild animal."

"It's not dangerous," Matt said, "and I haven't seen any bears or mountain lions up here in a while."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"That's reassuring."

Rhonda chuckled.

"How can a girl that prides herself on being a tough mother like you wind up being so scared of a little bit of nature?"

Fran glared at her.

"Do you want to come closer to me and ask that?"

Rhonda shook her head.

"You're so damn touchy," she said, "Some people might say you're too sensitive."

Fran glowered.

"Not to my face they won't."

* * *

Matt just watched them, hoping they wouldn't kill each other before they left for L.A. He had hoped that taking the women hiking would allow them to relax a little, something which would be very useful before they went after Butz and his men and that it would help C.J. remember her past. Most of her memories of the time she had spent at his cabin and the surrounding mountains were good ones. The only visit which had marred that history involved her being discovered at his cabin by Dean who had given Matt and a pack of LAPD's finest the slip while they staked out C.J.'s house.

He glanced over at C.J. who walked a little bit ahead, keeping to herself but looking around avidly at the flora around her. Maybe she remembered how much nature always drew her in to paying close attention to everything living around her. She had always loved hiking as much as he did and they both had spent as much time as they could at Pinewood whenever they could escape their busy schedules.

"These flowers are so pretty," she said, looking at him, "like clusters of brilliant color everywhere."

"I'm glad you like them," he said, "You used to pick them in bunches and put them on the table when we ate."

"Maybe I'll pick some on the way down," she said.

They continued upward until they reached the top where Fran just sat on the ground, exhausted but C.J. continued to walk until she heard a soft roar from behind a throng of pine trees.

"Is that what I think it is," she asked.

Matt followed her to where she found a small waterfall which brought a stream cascading down on some rocks in the middle of a small pool. She knelt down and put her fingers in the water.

"Is it familiar," Matt asked.

She looked up at him and thought about it for a minute.

"I think so," she said, her face intent in concentration.

"We spent a lot of time up here," he said, "It's why I bought the cabin."

She turned to look at him, her brows raised.

"Really," she said, "when was that?"

He smiled.

"When we first came out to L.A. from Texas to set up a new office," he said, "So we'd have a place to go if the city or work ever got too hectic."

She nodded, looking around her at the rocks and trees surrounding them.

"You picked a good spot."

"Actually you did," he said.

Rhonda and Fran came up to them, breathing quickly.

"Did you really have to push me up that last hill," Fran retorted.

Rhonda flashed an innocent smile.

"How else was I going to get you to move your butt," she said, "We have to go to L.A. tomorrow and if I'd let you set the pace, we'd miss our ride."

Fran scowled and clenched her fist at her side.

"You want to hit me again," Rhonda asked, "You might want to rethink that."

"You're not worth the effort," Fran said, her eyes still glowering, "nor the time."

C.J. walked up to them.

"Isn't it beautiful up here," she said, "Definitely worth the hike wasn't it?"

Rhonda and Fran looked at each other but C.J.'s enthusiasm was contagious.

"Yeah it's really something," Rhonda said, putting her hands on her hips and looking at the waterfall.

"It's not bad," Fran conceded, then she knelt by the small pool and dipped her hands in it, "The water's pretty cold."

"It feels good," Rhonda said, "I might just soak my feet in here after that long hike."

"I remember walking up here," C.J. said, "but I was with someone else."

* * *

It had been a day just like this one when she and the man with the devil may care smile and the British accent walked near the same waterfall. They had driven up there to get away from the grind of L.A. for the weekend. It had been their first together as a couple. He stopped by the waterfall and pulled out his camera to take pictures of it and C.J. watched him. You could take your new boyfriend out of the television studio where he worked but you couldn't take the need to document every event that took place out of the man. When he finished, she reached out and took his hand.

"This is one of my favorite places," she told him.

He looked around at the serenity of the trees with their branches rustling in a gentle breeze with the backdrop of water crashing down on the rocks. He smiled broadly at the woman in front of him.

"I can understand why," he said, "Nature never ceases to fascinate me."

He reached out and stroked a fallen twig out of her hair. She had smiled, enjoying the feel of his finger tips brushing her skin.

"C.J., I think these have been the best few weeks of my life," he said, "Coming back here to L.A. and meeting up with you again. How long had it been?"

She thought about it.

"Since college," she said, "When you, Houston and I used to run around together, although we spent most of our time keeping you out of trouble."

His brow rose.

"I only did those stupid things to get your attention," he said, "I think I really was in love with you back then."

C.J.'s eyes narrowed.

"What is this about love," she said, "Are you trying to say…"

He nodded and took her in his arms.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say, that I love you."

* * *

C.J. blinked. Who had that man with the charming smile and the quick wit been? And were they still together? Somehow like in the case of her earlier flashbacks about Carl, she didn't think so. She just hoped this relationship hadn't ended as tragically as her relationship with Carl had.

Matt looked at her and knew she had been thinking about something, perhaps another piece of her fragmented memories.

"What are you thinking about," he asked, walking up to her. She looked at him and smiled.

"I remembered a man I brought up here to see the waterfall," she said, "I don't know his name but he was handsome and very charming."

"Sounds like a dream boat to me," Fran said, sarcastically, "Couldn't have been all that memorable."

Rhonda smacked her arm.

"Could you not be so insensitive," she said, "C.J.'s trying really hard to remember her past."

She turned towards C.J.

"Do you remember anything else about him?"

C.J. concentrated hard but once again, her mind resisted by keeping that memory shielded like the others.

"I don't know," she said, "I don't think we're together now. I just don't know anything about him."

"C.J. you went out with several men since we arrived in L.A.," Matt said, "Most of them were good men. A couple of them weren't but you broke off your relationships with them when you found out."

She frowned again.

"Did this guy try to hurt you?"

He looked at her surprised and knew then the focus of her recent memories.

"Robert Tyler," he said quietly.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Who was he," she said, "Was he the man I just remembered?"

"He was born in England and he had come to the university we both attended as an exchange student from Oxford."

"Did we hang out together?"

Matt nodded.

"A group of us did, including Robert," he said, "but Robert kept getting caught up in all these escapades and we did a lot of bailing him out. We never held it against him, just figured he'd outgrow it."

C.J. sighed.

"I have a feeling he didn't…outgrow it."

"No he didn't," Matt said, "He wound up being a well known television news reporter but he wanted to be an anchor for a major network. He had the smarts and the drive to succeed. He just didn't put either of those to very good use."

"Meaning…"

Matt paused, choosing his words carefully.

"He staged the stories that he wrote about which built his reputation in the industry," he said, "and that included kidnapping and murder."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"And I went out with this guy," she said, "What was I thinking?"

She sat down near the waterfall and he joined her.

"Look C.J., you loved the guy," he said, "You had no idea what he was up to but when you did, you made the right decision to leave him."

"Was that all I did," she asked suddenly.

He gazed at her and saw a troubled look cloud her eyes.

"You helped expose his crimes," he said, "It was one of the hardest things you ever had to do but you did it."

"He must have hated me," she said, softly.

He stroked her hair back with his fingers and she let him.

"He's in prison for the rest of his life," Matt said, "and he brought it on himself. It was nothing no one else did."

Rhonda and Fran walked over.

"This place isn't…bad," Fran said, "Thanks for showing it to us."

Matt smiled.

"You're welcome," he said, "Now let's see if we can eat some lunch under those nice trees over there."

* * *

C.J. bit into her sandwich while Matt told the other two women about the flora and wildlife that lived up in the mountains near his cabin. She sensed that he hadn't told her everything about Robert and his relationship with the both of them. She had also detected the discomfort in his voice when he talked about Robert's betrayal. She became more and more aware as her time spent as an amnesiac passed that others might be the keys to finding out more about herself and who she really had been most of her life.

And Matt, the man she barely remembered yet had been close friends most of that life probably knew her better than anyone else. Because of that, he probably held the answers to many of the questions that clouded her mind since she regained consciousness from some car accident, everything a blank slate.

They walked back to the cabin after lunch, with very little in the way of conversation on the way down. Fran and Rhonda were exhausted from their jaunt up in the mountains and C.J. was lost in her thoughts and always hoping for a return of a memory. As for Matt, she noticed that he seemed quieter too but as for what he was thinking about, she could only guess.

After Rhonda and Fran had settled on the couch, C.J. decided to go fishing, hoping to catch something for dinner but mostly to get some time away by herself. Days like these confused her, the quiet companionship in a peaceful place conflicting with the chaotic survival of her first couple of days, not to mention their frantic escape from Piser's last party for the political bigwigs at the state capitol.

Matt watched as she took the fishing gear and left, knowing that the conversation about Robert Tyler had waved heavy on her heart, even if she only remembered fragments of her relationship with the disgraced anchorman and longtime friend. He had never faced quite the situation that she had, having to set up a lover to take a fall and she had played her part very well, disguising herself as a wealthy socialite who was not above blackmailing her former husband's killer. Matt had lost a fiancée to a serial killer and more than a couple of girlfriends to his work. Not too long ago, a former flame, Andrea had been shot and killed while trying to help him clear his name after he was framed for the murder of a woman he barely knew. Of course, C.J. had been shot too while they fled the building but her mind had been on him racing back in there to retrieve what he needed to end his nightmare even if it cost her own life. Matt had seen the blood seeping from her shoulder and had instead raced her off to the hospital to have the bullet removed even risking his own arrest. Even after she had told him she loved him.

It hadn't been all bad. That scary episode of his life reunited him with his Uncle Roy who had decided to leave his life of imposed exile and come back to live in L.A. Once things had settled down after their adventure in Hawaii, life had returned to normal, with C.J.'s admission of her feelings left in the air. Maybe that's why Robert had appealed to her so much when he returned into their lives to take that anchor job in L.A. He had been set to accept an even more lucrative position in New York City hopefully with C.J. at his side, a fantasy he hadn't completely abandoned even after the police slipped the handcuffs on his wrists and dragged him away. The downfall of his friend and his own role in it had saddened Matt but his own moral code couldn't be compromised even if the person who violated the law was a close friend. For C.J., it was much harder because he knew she had really loved him. He remembered the dinner where she had told him that her feelings for Robert scared her because she had feared she would lose him, something which came to pass. A couple of late night dinners at several of her favorite restaurants had paved the way for healing but she still had to deal with it in her own way.

C.J. walked to the lake, enjoying the feeling of being in such a beautiful place. The surface of the lake reflected the sunlight like a mirror and nary a ripple broke its surface. From her plunge into it, she knew the water was colder than it looked, so she contented herself to sitting on the grassy bank and preparing her fishing line.

She cast her rod and sat back and waited. Birds flew overhead, in and out of the tall trees and she could hear rustling sounds in the bushes as small animals scurried around on the ground.

* * *

"So are there really any fish in this lake," a woman asked.

The two of them sat on the bank, dressed in shorts and tee-shirts fishing. As C.J. remembered, she felt a wave of concern about the other woman sitting beside her. Her pale complexion and the bruising around her eyes reminded her that she wasn't well. She remembered her name was Julia and that she couldn't remember a time when they hadn't been friends.

"Sure Houston and I come and fish here many times," C.J. said.

"It's too bad he couldn't come this time," Julia said, "It's been a while since I've seen him."

C.J. watched a couple ripples break the surface of the lake.

"He's visiting his father back in Houston," she said, "It's a special time for them."

"How's Bill doing?"

C.J. took a deep breath.

"He had a minor heart attack a month ago or that's what the doctors are saying," she said, "He's supposed to be taking it easy but he wants to go back to work."

"So Matt's keeping him busy so he won't think about his company," Julia guessed.

C.J. nodded.

"I know what that's like," Julia said, flicking her pole out over the lake again, "Being sick forces you to give up so much including your control over your life."

C.J. frowned.

"But that's all behind you, you're in remission now," she said.

Julia looked at her and then shook her head.

"My latest blood work done last month says I'm officially out," she said, "The cancer's back."

C.J. felt her heart plunge.

"Oh my God," she said, "I'm so sorry."

Julia smiled, trying not to betray her own fears.

"It's not so bad," she said, "The doctor told me I should think about getting a bone marrow transplant."

C.J. embraced her friend tightly, forgetting her fishing pole for a moment.

"I want to help you," she said, "I've got plenty of bone marrow. You can have some of mine."

"You'll have to be a match," Julia said, "and there's still a lot to think about. It's very dangerous, not for you if you donate but for me. They have to kill all my own marrow and when that happens, I can get sick very easily."

"It's going to be okay Julia," C.J. said, "You'll get my marrow, you won't get sick and you'll get all better. You'll see."

Julia struggled to control her tears.

"Thank you so much," she said, "Now I think we'd better pay attention to our fishing poles before the fish swim away with them."

C.J. felt a wave of sadness fill her again surrounding her friend but now she understood why. Julia had been ill with a fatal disease that would kill her unless she got a transplant. She wondered what happened to her friend and whether or not the transplant succeeded. Then she remembered something else.

* * *

She woke up inside a hospital room and looked around her to see the bouquets of flowers surrounding her bed. Her body felt stiff and sore and sitting up caused her to wince but she tried again and finally her body cooperated. Her throat ached so she reached for the pitcher of water on the stand next to her bed.

"Here, let me get that for you," she heard a familiar voice say and she looked up to see that Matt had been seated in a chair next to her bed.

"Thanks," she said as he poured a glass and handed it to her.

She sipped slowly. Any movement caused her hip to ache so she tried to remain still. After she finished, Matt took the glass away and she lied down again. He reached to stroke the hair off her face.

"How are you feeling?"

She grimaced.

"Like a truck ran over me," she said, "but it's nothing that I can't handle. Have you heard any word on Julia?"

He paused.

"They gave her your marrow but it will be weeks or longer before they know if it will work."

She knew that the chances of the transplant putting Julia into remission were pretty good, but the question still remained whether she would stay there and even make a full recovery.

"How long until they let me go?"

"They want you to stay overnight just in case there are any complications," Matt said, "but they'll probably spring you loose tomorrow."

She looked around the room.

"The flowers are really nice," she said.

"Chris and Too-Mean sent some and my father," he said, "And I picked some wildflowers from my father's cabin. I know how much you like their smell."

She smiled.

"They're beautiful," she said, "Look, I'm sorry that I've already missed some work and I'm going to try to find a flight out to L.A. tomorrow."

Matt shook his head.

"No you're not," he said, "You've got a week until you're back to normal and the agency can wait until then."

"But Houston, we just started it and we've got to prove that we can handle the cases…"

He rubbed her shoulder.

"We'll do that but we're going to wait until you're better," he said, "Until then, we'll be staying at my father's ranch. You know how much he enjoys your company."

She nodded.

"That will be nice," she said, then looked at him, "Thank you for being here."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

* * *

C.J. smiled as she remembered when he had said those words. She couldn't remember anything more but he always seemed to want what was best for her and maybe he occasionally reined her in when she went off in some direction but it was only because he was concerned for her welfare. How different that was from men like Piser and Butz who exploited and hurt the women who had the misfortune to cross paths with them.

She heard the grass rustle behind her as if it had parted and some branches crackle. Her body stiffened and she looked around and saw Matt approaching.

"Mind if I join you?"

She shook her head and sat down.

"Catch anything?"

She smiled.

"Not even a nibble," she said, "Either the fish are sleeping or Fran and Rhonda must have put some real fear in them."

He chuckled.

"They're back at the cabin asleep from that hike this morning," he said, "All this clean mountain air must have gotten to them."

"It is intoxicating if you're not used to it."

"So what's the plan," she asked, "We're heading out early tomorrow right?"

He nodded.

"We need to beat the traffic," he said, "Chris and my uncle will be waiting for us at the office."

"I can't wait to meet…see them," she said, "It's all the same to me right now."

"That's all right," he said, "Maybe being there will help jog some memories."

She stretched her legs out.

"Being here sure has done that," she said, "I just was thinking about Julia."

Matt grew real quiet, enough so that she turned and looked at him.

"What," she asked, "Was it something I said?"

He sighed.

"She was your best friend since the time you were a little girl," he said.

"I remember that, not specific memories just that we were friends," she said, "But I did remember when we came here and sat right in this spot."

"What else do you remember?"

She bit her lip as she concentrated before the images could slip back to where they came from.

"She was sick, really sick enough to believe she was going to die."

"Yeah, she had cancer," Matt said, "She came down with it when you both were at Harvard University."

"She had been in remission for a while and while we were fishing, she said it had come back and her only hope was a bone marrow transplant," C.J. said.

"You donated the marrow and saved her life," Matt said, "You were adamant about it even though some of us tried to talk you out of it."

"Why," she asked, "Why would anyone do such a thing?"

Matt paused.

"Because we were worried about you," he said, "but when you made it clear that this was what you really wanted to do, we supported your choice."

She smiled.

"I know," she said, "When I woke up, you were in my hospital room."

"Everything turned out fine," he said, "You left the hospital and we went back to my daddy's ranch for a few days and he took good care of you."

"So did you."

He continued and his voice changed, just enough for her to detect.

"Julia got better too and the transplant gave her some really good years," he said.

"But…"

"She came out of remission several months ago," he said, "She's back getting chemotherapy but the doctors aren't as hopeful this time around."

"So she could die," C.J. said, softly, "It seems so wrong. I don't remember much about her but I do know she attracted life, not death."

"She's back in Texas with her family," Matt said, "She and her father reconciled."

"That's good I guess," she said, "I hoped they worked out their differences. I never got to know my own father."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Do you remember him at all?"

She shrugged.

"Only enough to know he was never part of my life," she said, "I don't know much about him."

"He died when you were a little girl and you lived back East," he said, "That's where you were born."

She smiled.

"You mean I'm not a native born Texan like you are?"

He chuckled.

"No," he said, "Everything you learned, you learned from me."

She nodded.

"I don't remember my mother either," she said, "You think I would if they were really important in my life."

He sighed.

"C.J., your parents passed when you were young," he said, "You were raised by your mother's sister and she really cared about you."

* * *

C.J. thought about her parents for the rest of the day after she and Matt had left the lake and walked back to the cabin. So much confusion surrounded her and what she thought she remembered and what she knew she didn't. She remembered more about Matt than anyone else but she found memories of her ex-boyfriends coming to mind more than those involving the family she grew up in. She didn't know how this amnesia thing worked only that each day she lived under its cloud, frustrated her more. She sat quietly and played with her food during dinner. They hadn't caught any fish so they had to content themselves with steak and baked potatoes. No one had any complaints and the other women dug into their food.

"I could eat like this for weeks," Rhonda sighed, "I spent way too many years eating in greasy diners and those are just the years I can remember."

Fran nodded, spearing a fried onion.

"Butz fed us crap in his jail," she said, "No one there looked forward to going to Piser's ranch but at least the food was decent."

Matt looked at them.

"We're going to head out first thing tomorrow and get to the office so we can use the resources there to help us figure out how to bring down Butz."

Fran nodded.

"How do we know he wont' have his goons waiting for us," she said, "He must be looking for us and by now, for you."

Matt nodded.

"I've been in touch with Chris and my uncle who you'll meet tomorrow and there's no sign of Butz or anyone poking around L.A. And I've got my buddy Too-Mean checking out even below the radar."

Fran chuckled.

"Too Mean," she said, "You sure surround yourself with some interesting sounding people."

He smiled.

"They're all willing to pitch in and help," he said, "All you got to do is let them. Do you think you can do that?"

Fran nodded slowly.

"Maybe," she said, "I'll try. I'll do anything to get Butz for killing those other women."

Rhonda nodded too.

"I'm in."

Matt looked over at C.J. who hadn't eaten very much.

"C.J.?"

Startled, she looked at him.

"That sounds good to me too."

He looked at her but she had already returned her attention to her plate.

Later, he walked out onto the deck and saw her sitting in a chair looking out at the forest.

"What's going on here," he asked.

She looked up at him.

"I guess I'm a little nervous about tomorrow," she said, "I know I should trust your friends."

"They're your friends too," he said.

She rubbed her eyes.

"I know, at least I'm supposed to know, but I'm walking around in this fog and I can't see more than a few feet in front of me."

"I know it's been hard for you," he said, "but it's going to be over with soon, Butz and his men will be in prison where they belong and you'll be back home."

She nodded, taking what he said in but her eyes looked doubtful.

"What if I never remember who I am?"

He sat down in a chair next to her.

"Then we'll help you rebuild your life piece by piece," he said, "We're not going to leave you or not accept you back because you don't remember your life."

"I don't know what to do," she said, "I don't know whether to try to back to the past or just try to figure out a new future for myself."

"You don't have to do that by yourself," he said, "You have friends around you who will help you. I will help you."

She smiled at him and reached for his hand, which he wrapped around her own.

"I know," she said, "I don't know much but I do know that."

With that, they both remained on the deck, sitting back and holding hands for a while, trying to put off thinking about the future for a little while.

* * *

Butz picked up the phone to call for a progress report from the men he had hired to hunt down the three missing women and the nosy private investigator who no doubt was hiding them some place in California.

"I have been waiting for a report," he barked into the phone.

A man sighed on the other end.

"Do you want this done rashly or do you want it done thoroughly," the man asked.

"I want it taken care of both thoroughly and quickly," Butz said, "I've got the feds and state police breathing down my neck here in Bannon County."

"Well, I haven't found any trace of the people you wanted me to find yet," the man said, "But I just got to L.A. an hour ago and I think I'll strike gold there."

"You make sure that you do and that you eliminate them and you'd better make damn sure none of your activities get traced back to me," Butz said, "That's what I'm paying all that money to you for."

"Once I find them, I'll kill them," the man said, "You have nothing to worry about. I'm a professional who always gets the job done."

"We'll see about that after it's done," Butz said before hanging up.

He sat back at his desk hoping that his hit man was true to his word and that Matt Houston and the three women would be out of the picture so he could focus on keeping himself out of prison. He had heard that former law enforcement officers didn't last long in prisons and being a sheriff, he would probably last an hour before some inmate would slice his throat.

No, he couldn't allow himself to be dragged off to some cell in some penal institution somewhere. For him, it would be tantamount to a death sentence.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8--Here's the latest installment of this older FF story. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

They left the cabin early the next morning as the sun began to rise, turning the sky pink near the horizon. Matt had been glad that he had brought one of his vehicles that could hold them all, so that they could leave the stolen vehicle behind to be picked up by the police. He had assured the three women that they wouldn't get arrested for stealing it and they chose to believe him. As they traveled down the windy mountain road to the main highway, they looked out the windows at the trees which whizzed by.

"I've never seen so many trees," Fran said, "I grew up in the desert."

"That's a lot different than up here," Matt agreed, "but it's beautiful country in its own way."

C.J. glanced out the window from time to time but found herself deep in her thoughts. She wondered if she would remember anything about her life when she walked into the office building where she had worked for several years. Would she recognize the people who worked there like this Chris woman as her friends? What if she walked in there and still drew a complete blank? She didn't even want to think about that.

"I missed the mountains," Rhonda said, "I spent time with them near the Rockies with my old man before he took off."

"I think the largest mountain where I grew up was a speed bump," Fran said, "But we had plenty of tumbleweeds."

C.J. watched them talking during the drive about their childhoods and thought about her own, except nothing came to mind. She had no memories of ever being a child or where she grew up, whether her parents had raised her well before they had passed away. Had she been heartbroken when her father died or had he already passed out of her life? Questions continued to plague her and she wondered if they'd ever be answered. The visions of past events which she remembered appeared to be haphazard in nature, drawn randomly from different periods of her life. The one Matt had said she lived but she couldn't remember. Part of her wanted to be the woman that he had known most of his life but another part of her remained wary.

Matt looked at her from time to time during the long drive to L.A. For most of the drive, she looked like she had been deep in her own thoughts. Rhonda and Fran spent most of the trip arguing back and forth but their exchanges seemed more good natured than they had been when he had first arrived at his cabin. Maybe the quiet scenery and fresh mountain air had worked its magic on the two of them. He hoped it did because they would need to stick together and work as a team to beat Butz. And C.J. would be an important part of that effort as well. He believed that when push came to shove, she would remember enough of her skills from her old life to help them bring the sheriff of Bannon County and his cronies to justice. And hopefully that would start when they arrived at the office in Century City and he introduced her to their pride and joy, Baby.

* * *

The two of them walked inside the office and looked around. C.J. looked at where Chris, the new receptionist had unpacked her boxes and began to sit up her work station near the elevator. Matt went to the wet bar and poured himself a drink.

"What would you like C.J.?"

She tilted her head.

"Houston, we just got here," she said, "And we've got tons of boxes to unload."

He shook his head.

"That can wait," he said, pouring her some scotch as well.

She took the glass when he handed it to her.

"What's the occasion," she asked.

"Setting up shop with our new business in the heart of the business district," Matt said, "I'd say we found a perfect spot."

She laughed.

"So you're thinking that leaving Houston and coming out to L.A. wasn't such a bad idea?"

He gestured for her to follow him out of the penthouse suite and onto the helicopter pad. They both looked over the edge of the building at the vibrant city below them.

"It's very lovely," C.J. said, "but there's not as much open space and so many people."

"Including many future clients," he said, "Starting tomorrow."

She sighed resting her drink on the ledge.

"I'm actually looking forward to this," she said, "Not that I don't love corporate law but this sounds exciting."

"It beats sitting in boardroom meetings all day," Matt said, "and I'm sure there's plenty of open space left here to build another ranch."

Her eyes lit up.

"That would be nice," she said, "to have a place to head out to get away from the city for a while."

He had agreed that it would be perfect and when they had moved out to L.A., he had looked around for the perfect spot to purchase his dream ranch. As he approached the city's limits, he tried to remember the last time that he had spent time at his ranch. He had eventually purchased the beach house and had moved there to be closer to his office. Still even as he enjoyed listening to the sounds of the tides coming in at night, he missed the quiet wilderness that he had surrounded himself with when he first moved out here.

* * *

C.J. still looked out the window, processing the scenery but not really recognizing any of it as pulling her back into her identity. The cars, buildings and brown haze that covered the city of the angels like a blanket just looked like that to her, nothing special. Her heart sunk as she realized she never remembered being here. They got off the freeway and started driving down streets where tall sky scrapers dominated and cars began streaming down the main thoroughfares.

"So this is L.A.," Fran said, not sounding all that impressed.

Rhonda hit her shoulder.

"This is a great place," she said, "I wonder if the Oyster's Cove is still standing."

Fran glowered at her.

"I think I read some place that it got closed down for health reasons," she said.

"You're lying," Rhonda said.

"I heard it from a very reliable source," Fran insisted.

Rhonda sighed.

"I have a lot of good memories there," she said, "and some not so good ones."

C.J. listened to them talk, wishing she had memories of her own that were more than several days old and under her control to recall whenever she felt like it. The few she had were not in her grasp for very long, before slipping away again back into the same recesses of her mind from which they had come. Even the bad memories were better than nothing at all, just this blank slate that she felt defined her most of the time.

Matt turned down one street that had a meridian lined with trees and stores on either side of the widened street. She saw a building with tinted windows ahead that looked over 10 stories high. She furrowed her brow, studying it. Something came to her, a quick snapshot of herself standing on the flat roof on top of it, adjacent to a doorway leading indoors.

"Is that it," she said, pointing it out.

Matt looked at her and then the building before nodding.

"That's the building where the agency's housed," he said, "I own it but lease out the rest of the floors to other businesses. Our office is on…"

"The top floor," she continued.

"Yeah, it is," he said, "Do you remember anything else?"

She concentrated again but this time she saw nothing. Looking back outside the window, she shook her head.

"You remembered it," Matt said, "That's the important thing. The rest will come."

She sighed.

"I wish it would hurry up," she said, "I feel as if I'm missing my ability to see things. Like I'm in a dense fog that just hangs there."

He turned into an underground parking garage that was rather empty and drove until he reached a parking spot.

"So is this where we park our cars," C.J. asked.

"Yes," he said, "And the elevator's just around that corner."

C.J. looked through the darkened space.

"I see Chris has arrived already," Matt said.

He parked the vehicle and they all got out. Rhonda and Fran stretched themselves and they all headed towards the elevator. The doors opened and Fran's mouth opened when she looked in it.

"Nice elevator," she said, as they walked inside, "Is the rest of the building like this?"

When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, Fran saw for herself. She walked out and gazed around the room at the décor which surrounded her.

"Oh my God," she said, as she neared the Jacuzzi that was built into the floor and surrounded with natural foliage, "Is this real?"

Chris walked away from her desk and walked towards Matt who exited the elevator with the other two women.

"You've got messages," Chris said, then looked at C.J. who smiled at her.

"You must be Chris," she said.

Chris smiled back.

"It's good to see you," she said, "I'm glad to hear that you're back."

"I wish I remembered you."

"It'll return," Chris said, "You'll see."

Matt walked towards the bar.

"Would you ladies like anything to drink," Matt said.

Fran sunk on the plush couch.

"I think I'll take a Scotch."

Rhonda scoffed at her.

"This early in the morning," she said, "We'll have juice, thanks."

"Wise choice," Matt said, as he opened the refrigerator and got some glasses.

They all took a glass and Matt joined them in the entertainment room where he started to fire up Baby. C.J. turned to look at him.

"Is this your computer," she said.

He nodded.

"It's the offshoot of the master computer at the headquarters in Houston Texas," he said, "Only I think this one is smarter."

She looked at the screen thoughtfully as the blinds on the windows closed.

"We spent a lot of time here haven't we?"

"Yes we have," he said, "Most everything we found out about the people in our cases was through Baby."

"I still think it's a strange name for a computer," Fran muttered.

Rhonda shrugged.

"And I still think it's cute," she said, "And probably less mess involved."

Matt began entering some names on the keyboard. Some familiar faces flashed on the screen.

"Look that's Sheriff Butz," Rhonda said, pointing at the screen, "Why's he dressed up as an inmate? Is he at a costume party?"

Matt shook his head.

"Our friend Sheriff Butz is actually Leonard Buford, a con artist who spent part of the seventies in various lockups in the Southern states."

Fran's mouth hung open.

"What is he doing as sheriff then?"

"Good question," Matt said, "It looks like he ran for sheriff five years ago and won after the incumbent disappeared during the election."

C.J. read the text on the screen.

"It looks like the police think that he took off for the Caribbean with his secretary who was also his mistress."

"But don't they do any background checks on sheriff candidates," Rhonda said, "To make sure they don't have records."

"Aren't they supposed to have worked as police," Fran asked.

"It depends on what the qualifications are," Matt said, "If there weren't any, all he had to do was get elected. It's awfully convenient that the competition disappeared from the picture just as voters were going to the polls."

"Sounds suspicious to me," C.J. said.

"He battered a girlfriend or two," Matt continued, "Sounds like an all-around nice guy."

Fran shrugged.

"Sounds like the perfect sheriff to me."

C.J. turned to Matt.

"What about Piser," she said, "He worked on the State Board of Corrections before he…died."

Matt clicked a few keys and Piser's photo came up.

"Well he doesn't have a criminal record," Matt said, "But he was investigated for some shady campaign practices."

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't properly declare all his campaign donations to political candidates," Matt said, "Here's a list from the state's election board showing he was investigated two years ago for some contributions associated with some state legislators' war chests."

"Did he ever get into trouble," C.J. asked.

Matt looked again and then shook his head.

"Doesn't look like he even got a slap on the wrist," he said, "He must have some powerful friends at the capitol."

"No doubt," Fran said.

"So what's his relationship with Butz," Rhonda asked, "and how long has it been going on?"

C.J. studied the screen.

"It looks like they met up not long after Butz got elected at a soiree up in the Capitol for law enforcement," she said.

"What did they talk about," Fran said, "how to exploit women?"

"This is all about political favors," Rhonda said, "Our bodies for their favors."

"There must be some backroom dealing going on to make it worthwhile," C.J. said, "and to keep any outside oversight off of their backs."

"There was some federal guy at some of the parties," Fran said, "He liked to tie his women up. None of the women wanted to be alone with him."

"Maybe that was his payoff to keep quiet and keep any of his people out of the way," C.J. said.

"So what are we going to do with this," Fran said, "Piser's dead and Butz is still walking around free."

"We can't go out there," Rhonda said, "We're fugitives and now they've put Piser's murder on us."

C.J. stood up.

"Maybe I did kill him."

Matt looked up at her.

"I don't think you did," he said, "You see, I think Piser was killed by one of Butz because they feared the net closing in around them and their cozy operation."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"How are we going to prove that," she said, "We walk out of her and we'll get arrested."

"We'll come up with a plan," Matt said, "I'm never going to let that happen."

Suddenly, Chris stuck her head.

"Someone just called up from downstairs," she said, "Two men who want to come up here and talk to you."

"Who are they," Matt asked.

"Agents from the FBI," Chris said, "They're looking for C.J. What should I tell them?"

Matt thought for a moment.

"Send them up," he said, then turned towards the women, "You're going to have to keep out of sight until they're gone."

"You don't have to convince me," Fran said, "but where?"

"Go down the stairs and you'll see a stairwell," he said, "Go down to the floor below and wait there in the closest office."

"Won't they search there," Fran asked.

"I don't think so," Matt said, "I'll keep them busy up here."

C.J. nodded.

"Let's get going," she told the other women and they took off.

Matt walked back to the front of the office where Chris was stationed just as the elevator opened and out walked two men dressed in blue suits.

"You Matt Houston?"

Matt nodded.

"How can I help you," he asked.

"We're looking for three women who escaped from custody in Arizona," one agent said, "We were told we could find them here."

Matt led the two men into his office.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine --Hi, trying to catch up on the FF, lol. I hope you enjoy reading, thanks for reading and your comments! Reconstructing this oldie's been challenging!

* * *

The agent scanned the large sized suite, taking in every single detail. Matt recognized that expression on his face, knowing that he had worn it many times himself since he had become an investigator.

"What do you gentlemen want," he asked, "You didn't come all the way up here to check out the scenery."

One of the agents turned towards him and pulled out his badge.

"I'm Agent Tom Stewart, FBI Phoenix office."

Matt looked at his identification card.

"And what brings you here?"

"We're looking for a trio of women," Stewart said, "and we understand you know one of them. She works for you."

"Who would that be," Matt asked, "I have a lot of women who work for me."

Stewart pulled out a mug shot which showed C.J.

"She was the one who was arrested for trying to solicit for prostitution at a local diner," Stewart said, "But we have a feeling that was a set up."

Matt folded his arms.

"And what makes you think that I know where she is," he said, "I mean, I flew out there to Arizona looking for her but I didn't find her."

"Someone said you flew back here just as fast," Stewart said, looking at the photos hanging on the wall, "Nice pictures."

"Thanks," Matt said, "but I don't think you're here to talk about my interior decorating. What do you want?"

Stewart looked at the other agent who shrugged.

"We're looking for your friend and two others like we said," he answered, "Where are they?"

Matt folded his arms.

"They're not in here," he said, "I don't know where they are."

"Would you lie to protect them," Stewart said, "Except for Ms Parsons, you don't even know them."

Mat set his jaw.

"Look, you're wasting your time here," he said, "You should be rounding up Butz and his gang of thugs in Arizona."

"We're working on that," Stewart said, "But one of his partners, Semour Piser is now dead."

"I heard that," Matt said, "The cause of death is not known."

"He was shot."

Matt's brows lifted.

"Is that what the coroner's report reads?"

"The medical examiner pulled a slug out of his chest during the autopsy," Stewart said, "It belonged to a handgun which hasn't been recovered."

Matt rubbed his jaw.

"Then I think you'd better found out which one of Piser's partners killed him off."

Stewart sighed.

"Ms Parsons was the last person to be seen with him."

"Says who," Matt asked.

"Says some witnesses who were at the party," Stewart said.

"These women were prisoners," Matt said, "I'm not aware that anyone had access to weapons."

"They didn't," Stewart said, "unless they got hold of one."

"She didn't kill Piser," Matt said, "though I wouldn't hold it against her if she did."

Stewart narrowed his eyes.

"You seem very sure of that," he said, "Now are you sure you have nothing better to tell us?"

* * *

C.J. and the other two women remained where they had gone, wondering when the agents would leave and go search for them elsewhere.

"How long do you think they're going to be," Rhonda asked.

Fran snorted.

"They're going to search this place top to bottom," she said, "They won't stop at nothing if they think one of us murdered someone."

C.J. looked at her hands.

"Maybe I should go down and turn myself in," she said.

Rhonda frowned.

"Don't you dare," she said, "You didn't do anything wrong."

Fran nodded.

"Besides, if you do that, they'll know that we're somewhere close by too and I'm not going back to that jail or trading it in for another one," she said.

Rhonda shrugged.

"I've seen worse," she said, "but I'm not going back for something I didn't do."

C.J. digested what the two women told her but her mind remained conflicted. The details of the party had become fuzzy, not as much so as most of the rest of her life but she wasn't sure whether Piser had died at her hands or not. The question gnawed away at her even as she tried to push it away. She thought about Matt being up there with the two agents and wondering what was happening with him. Would they arrest him, or take him in for questioning?

"I sure hope Matt's keeping on his toes with those suits," Fran sighed.

"He looks like he can handle himself," Rhonda reasoned, "and I think he'd do anything for C.J."

C.J. looked at Rhonda as she said that. She couldn't remember much about him but fleeting memories but she somehow knew that about him in the few days she remembered that she knew him.

"He shouldn't be facing this by himself," she said, finally.

The other two women looked at her.

"He's not," Rhonda said, "That Chris lady or whomever is up there with him."

C.J. stood up and brushed off her slacks.

"I'm going to help him."

Fran's eyes widened.

"You," she exclaimed, "You don't even remember who you are, or wouldn't know your name if someone hadn't told you."

"If they take him in…"

"Then they'll take him in," Fran said, "We'll have to get the hell out of here."

"I'm not going to leave him," C.J. said, suddenly.

Fran sighed.

"He's doing this to help us," she said, "If you go up there, they'll haul of us including him for harboring fugitives."

"She's right," Rhonda echoed.

C.J. folded her arms but thought about it.

"We'll have to be ready if they come down here looking," she said.

"We'll have to find a better place to hide," Rhonda said.

C.J. agreed after looking around the room.

"We should look down the hallway," C.J. said, heading to the door.

The other two women just looked at each other and followed her.

* * *

Matt looked nonplussed as the two agents both folded their arms and stared at him.

"What's your problem gentlemen," Matt said, more amiably than he felt, "besides the fact that you're wasting your time bothering me and not out looking for the real killer."

"We'll decide how we spent our time Mr. Houston," Stewart said.

"Oh that's right," Matt said, "I read somewhere that you always do get your man."

"Most of the time," Stewart said, "although some of them take longer to apprehend than others."

"That must be difficult," Matt said, "but you're making it harder on yourselves by chasing after C.J."

"She's a person of interest…"

"A fancy word for suspect," Matt finished.

Stewart scowled at him.

"That decision hasn't officially been made yet by the bureau."

Matt and the two agents heard the elevators open and Chris greet someone. Matt's eyes widened a bit when he saw his Uncle Roy enter the office carrying a bag of food.

"I brought you something," Roy said, paying little attention to the two agents, "From that deli down the street."

Matt picked up the bag.

"That was nice of you," he said, "I've been talking to these two gentlemen here."

Roy sized them up.

"You mean federal agents," he said, "They all buy their suits from the same tailor. A guy in Santa Monica."

"They're looking for C.J.," Matt explained.

"So are we," Roy said, "She's out there somewhere."

"We're trying to determine where," Stewart said, "We need your help."

Roy looked back and forth.

"Is C.J. a suspect," he asked, "has he used the term, 'person of interest' yet?"

Matt nodded.

"They're looking for her so they can question her about Semour Piser's murder."

"Is he the man who engineered the prostitution ring in Bannon County," Roy asked.

"One and the same."

"Then it seems to me a celebration is in order," Roy said, "because he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"Somehow I don't think they're in the celebratory mood," Matt said, "I'm surprised to see you."

"You shouldn't be," Roy said, "I said I would come by the office from time to time while on my sabbatical."

The two agents looked at Roy.

"And you're…"

Roy looked at them as if noticing them for the first time.

"I'm Roy Houston," he said, "I'm his uncle."

The two agents grunted some words of greeting while Roy just smiled bemusedly at them.

"How's are things in the bureau," Roy asked, "It's been a while since I've crossed paths with a G-man."

Stewart and the other agent looked at each other.

"Mr. Houston," Stewart said, "This is a serious criminal matter that's fallen on our desk."

"You mean your boss' desk," Roy said, "My nephew is right. You're focusing your resources and time on the wrong person. You should be going after the person who killed Piser."

"That might be Ms Parsons," Stewart said, "She's the last person to be seen with him."

"She didn't kill him," Roy said, "although I am sure if she had done so, it would have been self defense."

"I agree with that," Stewart said, "The bureau doesn't think there was any malice or forethought involved."

"If that's the case, then what's the problem," Matt said, "if in your mind she did pull the trigger."

Stewart sighed.

"We have to investigate any homicide that we are aware of, no matter the circumstances."

Matt threw up his hands.

"Fine, then go out and investigate it," he said.

"We're here looking into the matter," Stewart said, "but you're not being very cooperative Mr. Houston. In fact, you can be construed as being hostile."

"Believing that you're wasting your time barking up the wrong tree isn't being hostile," Matt said, "It's simply pointing out a fact."

"So you say," Stewart said, "But the facts of the case say differently and that is why we are here."

"What facts," Roy asked, "You haven't presented a single one since I've been in this room."

Stewart grew flustered.

"The real question here Mr. Houston is how far you would go to protect Ms Parsons…"

* * *

C.J. sat in the storage room that housed office supplies with Rhonda and Fran, who had grumbled at the cramped space. She found herself thinking of Matt who still must be upstairs being grilled by two federal agents who were looking for her. She thought not for the first time that maybe she should walk downstairs and out of this building, and just leave. That way, Matt wouldn't know where she had gone and the agents would have to leave him alone. But a part of her remained unable to move from where she now sat, the part of her that didn't want to leave the man who she didn't remember but who had proven to be such a friend to her.

"I wonder what's going on up there," Rhonda said.

"They could have dragged him off to headquarters to be questioned there," Fran said.

C.J. didn't even want to consider that possibility. A memory hit her just then, of when she had been shot and was left to die on the grass, her blood flowing into the dirt. She remembered little of that except when she had woken up as waves of tremendous pain rocked her body and he had been holding her hand while a man who claimed to be a doctor tried to keep the tension out of his voice as he examined her bullet wound. Matt had whispered things in her ear to comfort her even though he hadn't been certain that she had been listening but she had been aware of what he said to her. It had been her anchor in a sea of fear and pain and her heart had slowed its tempo. Still, even as the warmth of his hand flowed through her, she had felt herself beginning to slip away and had fought against an upward current to remain grounded.

"Don't leave me," he had said.

Those words had been the last she remembered and they remained her as she slid into unconsciousness. She had barely any recollection of what had followed but since she was sitting in the storage room with two other women, she obviously had survived that ordeal and had recovered. Then another memory pushed its way through.

She sat on a beach, with the sun caressing her shoulders and the hint of salt in the air. Totally relaxed, she had stared out into the turquoise of the ocean, its gentle waves barely visible. There were surfers bobbing up and down in the water and birds gliding above the ocean. Putting her book down, she got up but not without wincing from a slice of pain in her side where her wound still healed. As she got up, she saw him standing in front of her and blinked her eyes. In his hands was a stack of paperwork.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but a hint of a smile lit her mouth.

"What are you doing here," she said, trying to make sense of what stood in front of her.

"You know when I told you that I was going to send you that paperwork to catch up on," he asked.

She nodded, breaking into a grin. He looked at her a bit sheepishly.

"Well I did bring it," he said, "But instead of shipping it to Hawaii, I decided to deliver it personally."

She smiled fully to him and reached out her hand.

C.J. blinked and the two women looked at her oddly.

"What is it," Rhonda asked.

C.J.'s expression turned resolute.

"We're going to help him."

And then she told them her plan.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10BC---updated this oldie too...hope you enjoy and thanks for reading and the feedback...

* * *

The memory of her and Matt on the Hawaiian beach had shaken her and she tried to recapture it, just as she had done before when she felt that her concussed brain offered her glimpses of the life that she no longer remembered. They had been standing on the beach, as the tropical breeze brought the waft of the ocean's unique cologne in around them. Bits and pieces of the holiday they had spent together while she recovered from what…a bullet wound one of several that marked her body. She had seen them when she showered at the cabin and the motels and had no real memory of how they had gotten there.

She remembered riding in a van where every jolt burned her insides, of a man holding onto her and trying to brace her from the worst of it. Arguing with the man who had told him to shut up her cries by saying that it was them that had put the bullet there. That must have been Matt who had been with her. That memory seemed much fresher than many of the others, was it because it was more traumatic than most or more recent? She had woken up after a long dreamless sleep to find him holding her hand by her bedside and she felt the warmth of his touch penetrate her even as it hurt to breathe, to move and she still felt death waiting. He hadn't wanted to leave her, she remembered, to slip his hand out of her weak grasp but she told him, with what voice she could muster to go back to some cult and rescue a girl.

"Hey C.J., what's going on?"

C.J. shook her reveries to see both Rhonda and Fran looking at her.

"We have to help him," C.J. said, "We can't just let them take him away."

Fran looked at her.

"He seems like a guy who can handle himself, or anything that comes his way."

Rhonda nodded in agreement.

"Besides, he told us to stay away," she said, "Where those men couldn't find us."

C.J. frowned, remembering someplace else.

"But..."

Fran shook her head.

"If they capture you," she said, "They'll haul him in as an accessory after the fact. And you're wanted for murder."

C.J. shook her head.

"I didn't kill him."

"They won't believe you," Fran insisted, "They'll say that you killed him in some struggle."

"It wasn't like that," she said, "We struggled but only because I didn't want to go through with what he wanted."

Rhonda shrugged.

"Can't say I blame you," she said, "Piser's a creep. That's what I heard in the cell block anyway."

Fran nodded.

"He gets off on women's fear," she said, "The last woman they promised ran away, not that it did her any good."

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"She's the one that got killed."

Fran looked away.

"Not the only one," she said, "but yeah, she was one of them. We thought their bodies might have been dumped in some remote part of the desert miles from town."

C.J. shivered.

"I didn't want him touching me," she said, "That's why I hit him but I didn't kill him."

"He's no different than any other guy," Fran said, "They all want one thing."

Rhonda scowled.

"Not all of them," she said, "Matt's been really nice and he's helping us."

"Okay, he's not bad," Fran admitted grudgingly, "but he's only one in a whole planet of them who isn't."

C.J. frowned looking at both of them.

"How do you know that," she said.

Fran glowered.

"I just know and you don't remember enough from more than a few days ago to say otherwise."

* * *

Matt sat and watched the agents start to sweat. His uncle had been a good host, offering them glasses of juice freshly squeezed but they had turned him down.

"What's the big deal here," Matt said, loudly, "If C.J. had anything to do with Piser's death, it would have been self defense."

Stewart nodded.

"That's probably the case but that can only be determined through a thorough homicide investigation including the report from the medical examiner."

"You just said Piser was shot," Matt said.

Stewart and the other agent looked at each other.

"With his own gun possibly," he said, "He carried a firearm and it wasn't found with his body."

"So you think his killer has it?"

"Or at least used it and then possibly kept it or disposed of it," Stewart said.

Roy looked at Matt as he sipped his own glass of juice.

"That means it could be anyone who was in that building," Roy said, "Including his own partners."

Matt nodded.

"It could have been Sheriff Butz for all you know," he said, "and you want to know why you know so little, it's because you're not back in Arizona investigating the real crimes which was against those ladies unlucky enough to cross paths with any of those thugs."

"Including the one who is now deceased," Roy added.

Stewart set his jaw.

"You are talking about vigilante justice," he said, "We can't allow that."

"I'm talking about possible self-defense," Matt said, "On the other hand, it could have been good old fashioned greed that did Piser in."

Both agents seemed to consider that.

"What did your friend Ms Parsons do for a living," Stewart asked.

Matt looked at him, puzzled.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"She worked for you as a lawyer?"

Matt nodded.

"That makes her much different than the rest of the women we found," Stewart said.

"Including the dead ones?"

Stewart bristled at the reminder that some of the women who had thought they had escaped a prostitution ring had wound up dead when they walked into someone's crosshairs.

"If I knew where C.J. and any of those other women were, I wouldn't tell you," Matt said.

"Then you would be committing a crime," Stewart said, "because then you'd be harboring fugitives."

That got Matt's dander.

"Fugitives," he said, "These women are victims of these men and we're supposed to be all upset because one of these men who exploited them wound up dead."

"The one who had picked out C.J. as his date was the one who wound up shot on the floor," Stewart said.

"If I had been there, he would have been dead before he laid one hand on her."

Stewart chuckled derisively.

"Somehow I don't doubt that," he said, "If I hadn't known you were accounted for at the time by being miles away from Piser's ranch, you'd have found yourself in an interrogation room in Arizona."

"Isn't that where we are now," Matt said, "or was this a social call and you forgot to dispense with pleasantries."

Stewart just shook his head at him. Roy looked over at the two nonplussed federal agents.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like any juice?"

They mutely shook their heads as Roy went to pour himself another tall glass.

* * *

C.J. had closed her eyes again, willing time to pass and for those agents to leave and hopefully, not take Matt with them. She had never felt helpless as she did now, or at least not in ways that she remembered. She didn't like it, anymore than she hadn't liked it when Piser had tried to get his money's worth from her body. Back then, she had fought back but now, she had to sit her quietly in hiding and wait until she received the alls clear from someone in Matt's penthouse suite that the men had left.

"I don't think those men are ever going to leave," she said, finally.

"They will C.J.," Rhonda reassured her, trying to infuse confidence in her voice.

C.J. shook her head.

"I can't let them take him into custody just for helping us."

Fran countered.

"If we all get taken in, how is that going to help him…or us?"

C.J. rested her head on her hand.

"I don't know…I just feel so helpless like…"

And then she remembered back to when Matt had been kidnapped and she hadn't seen him for over a month. She had talked to him on the phone before he left his office building on the way to catch a flight to Hawaii and then…he just disappeared. Next thing, she knew is that her night sleep was interrupted when he called her, in desperation after he had woken up with no memory of his immediate past.

How she had felt when she heard how frightened he had been on the phone, how worried he had been that he had done what he was accused of doing, killing a woman by strangling her in cold blood. She remembered doing her best to reassure him that he didn't have it within him to hurt anyone unless in self-defense or while protecting those he loved. She had sat with him in the car and had stroked his hair as he had finally broken down in frustration and she had wrapped her arms tightly around him, to comfort him. To try to reach inside past the walls of confusion and uncertainty he had erected to the part of him that she knew so well. Time seemed to stop as he grabbed her and held on as if she were a lifeline and in a way she had been, he told her later when all their hard work to put the nightmare behind them had succeeded.

And wait, something good had come out of that whole ordeal as Matt had been reunited with his estranged uncle who had been a covert operative back in the day before essentially going into seclusion after his beloved son had presumably died behind enemy lines in Vietnam during that crazy war. She had glimpses of them eating dinner and laughing with each other, and the look of love that she had seen in his uncle's eyes at the nephew as their relationship had come full circle.

* * *

Matt and his uncle sat as they watched the two federal agents finally sigh and stand up as if to leave. Stewart reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. He handed it to Matt.

"Give me a call if your memory suddenly returns," he said.

Matt nodded, pocketing it.

"You're hunting for the wrong people," he said, "Those women didn't commit any crimes."

Stewart sighed.

"From what it looks like, someone else has been hunting them," Stewart said, "You'd better hope we find C.J. and the other women before they do."

Matt and Roy watched the two agents nod at Chris at her receptionist desk before getting on the elevator. After the doors closed, Matt turned to his uncle.

"We'd better go track down our guests."

"They're probably somewhere in the building," Roy said, "I'll help you."

Matt went to his stairwell and walked a couple flights down and stopped at one floor. He looked down the hallway and saw C.J. and the two women standing there, as if unsure what to do next.

"Hey there he is," Rhonda said, "It took you long enough. Did you finally lose the suits?"

"They left, but they'll be back."

C.J. looked up at him.

"We'd better get out of here," she said, "I don't want them to come and get you."

"We'll be safe here for a while at least," Matt said, "We can keep digging for information to arm ourselves before we go back to Arizona."

"I'm ready to do that," Fran said.

"That's good to hear," Matt said, "Besides, my uncle's making something to eat and he'll be offended if you don't at least try it and tell him what you think."

Rhonda nodded.

"I'm not turning free food down."

The women turned to go back up the stairs but C.J. lagged behind a bit and Matt could see she seemed deep in thought. He walked beside her.

"You remember anything else?"

She studied him a moment and nodded.

"I remember seeing you on the beach with a stack of paperwork…"

He laughed.

"I told you before you went to recuperate in paradise that I would be forwarding your paperwork," he said, "It was a joke but then I decided to bring it to you myself."

"It was nice to see you," she said, "Did we have a good time?"

"Yeah we did," he said, "We tried parasailing, but even with a healing gunshot wound, you did better than I did."

"That sounds risky."

"We both like pushing the adrenaline a bit," he said, "Sky diving, scuba diving, car chases…"

"It sounds exciting," she said, "I wish I remembered that."

They continued up the stairwell.

"You will," Matt said, "Give yourself some time. You've remembered a lot already."

"Mostly about us," C.J. said, "and that part of it still confuses me."

Roy greeted them with something that smelled delicious as the four of them entered the penthouse suite to eat some great food and to figure out a plan of what to do next.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 BC----Here's the latest chapter of this FF story. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

"You must be Uncle Roy," she had said when she first saw him.

He nodded.

"And you're C.J."

She smiled back at him, feeling at ease with Matt's uncle.

"That's what he tells me."

Roy had kept their plates filled with plenty of wonderful food and glasses filled with his freshly squeezed fruit juice. The women, Fran grudgingly, had complimented him on his culinary skills. Roy explained that he had picked them up while working in more than few kitchens as part of covert operations.

"There's plenty that can be learned by just being a good listener," he said.

Rhonda nodded at that.

"Yeah, when I was a waitress, I heard secrets from men they wouldn't tell their own wives," she said, "Well actually, especially their own wives."

"I know," Roy said, "I worked as a waiter once in an exclusive Italian restaurant where some KGB men held regular meetings in the corner booth. Plotting to infiltrate the White House. "

"Sounds exciting," Rhonda said.

C.J. listened to Roy talk and tried to remember him, but drew a blank. Still, she felt very comfortable around him and that must mean something. She ate plenty of his food, having felt her appetite return in a rush once her infection had abated.

"Those agents are going to come back," she said, quietly.

Matt looked over at her.

"We'll be gone by then," she said, "We should be leaving for Arizona in the morning."

She nodded, not knowing if she felt ready to go back there where her life had begun. But knowing that she couldn't run away from it, not if she wanted a better life to return to when they were done.

"So you came back to L.A.?"

Both Matt and Roy looked at C.J. who appeared to be sorting out something inside her mind. Roy nodded.

"I hadn't seen my nephew for years," Roy explained, "His father and I…we didn't see eye to eye and he died before I could set it right. I knew I had to do much better with his son."

"So you helped him when he came to you?"

"He needed my connections to the underworld," Roy said, "Most of the research on brainwashing and mind control was done by the covert organizations."

"I think I tried to help him…"

"You nearly died in the process," Roy said, "My nephew knew then he had drawn you into too deeply."

"He risked arrest to get me to a hospital?"

Roy nodded.

"You would have died if he hadn't."

She sighed, her brow furrowing.

"I didn't want to tell him that I'd been shot."

Roy looked at her seriously.

"Your life was more important than his freedom," he said, "Fortunately he had a friend in the police department to help him escape."

C.J. nodded.

"I think I remember that."

"When we caught all the bad guys with your help of course," Roy said, "I picked up stakes and moved out here to be closer to my family."

"You had a son…"

She saw the older man's eyes dim and wished she could take back her words. He saw her indecision and shook his head.

"No it's okay," he said, "My son Will has been MIA for years. Back when he and Matt were in Vietnam."

"That must be very difficult," she said, "to not know what happened to him."

Roy nodded.

"Sometimes I think even if he is dead, it's better to know," he said, "Others, it gives me hope that he's still alive and will come home some day."

She reached out to touch his arm.

"I hope that he does return."

C.J. didn't have any memories of Matt's cousin that she recalled but she could tell from Roy's expression and his words that he deeply missed him.

"Would you like some more juice," Roy asked.

She nodded and he refilled her glass.

They sat near Baby and tried to map out the prostitution ring as much as they could do so based on what the super computer had revealed to them and what the women remembered.

"It looks like Butz and Piser were in partnership with each other," Matt said, "and one of them is dead."

"Shot to death," Roy said.

C.J. nodded.

"Then I didn't kill him," she said, "but who did?"

"That's the question we're going have to answer," Matt said, "Because the authorities don't seem all that intent on figuring it themselves."

Roy agreed.

"They don't want to see the truth," he said, "That Bannon County and probably much higher is embedded with corruption."

Fran snorted.

"Tell us something we don't know."

"We're going to have to be able to prove it," Matt said, "And Baby's been a great help."

"She usually is," C.J. said, "Isn't she?"

Matt turned to look at her.

"More times than I can count," he said, "But she seems to like you better than me."

C.J. smiled at that.

"Maybe it's a woman's touch."

* * *

She stood outside on the helipad, a place she sensed she spent most of her time when she needed to think about something. Matt came out with his drink to join her as she looked out into the incredible span of L.A. covered as usual with a layer of brown haze in the direction of downtown. Look over towards the ocean, and the sky looked crystal clear. A study in contrasts, she thought.

"It's quite a view isn't it?"

She turned to face him.

"I spend a lot of time out here don't I?"

"Some," he said, "I do too. Everything looks so different from up here than down at ground level."

"I see what you mean," she said, "I feel much smaller up here, but I feel like my problems are smaller too."

"We're going to take care of these men," he said, "Then you can come back home."

She turned to face him.

"I don't know what home is Houston," she said, "That's what I call you isn't it?"

He hid a smile.

"At various times, yes," he said, "See, your memory's coming back in bits and pieces."

She frowned.

"I wish it would come back faster."

He looked out at the skyline.

"It will," he said, "You just have to give yourself a chance and have faith that you'll remember who you are soon enough."

"And what if I don't?"

He reached to tilt her chin up with his hand and she didn't flinch.

"Then you'll start from scratch if necessary," he said, "and you'll have friends who will be there to help you."

She smiled.

"Chris and your uncle have been so nice," she said, "considering I don't really remember them."

"They care about you just like I do," Matt said, "They want to do whatever it takes to help you get your life back."

She nodded.

"I'm so lucky to have friends like them," she said, "Like I'm lucky to have you."

"C.J.," he said, "They feel the same way about you. You've helped many people through your work as a lawyer and through working with me with the agency."

"I remember parts of it but not a whole lot."

"We've worked on cases all over the world," Matt said, "We'd been very busy the past several months and I didn't want you to go to Santa Fe on the business trip because you'd been traveling a lot."

She knit her brow.

"I wanted to go, didn't I?"

"You said that you could handle it," he said, "You'd combine your work schedule and vacation time by driving there."

"And you said something about driving through a barren desert for hundreds of miles not being much of a pleasure trip."

He nodded.

"You remember?"

She tilted her head.

"Not very much of it," she said, "I remember thinking that you were right. It was mostly desert but I ran into some friends in Phoenix and had dinner there."

"That was the last time we'd heard from you."

Rhonda and Fran came out to join them and to check out the view.

"I don't remember much about that," C.J. said, "Just that I was lying on the ground, and there was fire everywhere. I looked up and saw a bunny rabbit…"

"Hey, maybe that's where you came up with your name," Rhonda said.

C.J. thought back and believed that might have been true. She remembered the heat of the flames on her face, the aches in her muscles as she tried to stand up and the sun beating down on her face as she walked from one town to the next.

"I tried to get a ride but no one stopped," she said, "then I walked into that diner and met Rhonda."

Rhonda shook her head.

"I knew you were some fancy broad," she said, "I guess I was right."

C.J. furrowed her brow in deep thought.

"The diner owner must have been in on it too," she said, "Because suddenly Butz and a deputy showed up and said they were taking us in for solicitation."

Rhonda laughed.

"Like I'd be interested in that dirty old man," she said, "What crap."

"I tried to run away, but he grabbed me from behind," she said, "I tried to knock him down to get him to let me go but I couldn't get away."

Matt looked at both women.

"He must have called Butz to come pick you up," he said, "He'd probably worked out an arrangement with him in case any women wandered in that wouldn't be missed."

Fran nodded.

"I think some of the other girls mentioned that when they came in," she said, "But someone did care about her enough to keep looking."

"I guess that they didn't anticipate that I'd show up," Matt surmised.

"Probably not," Fran said, "They thought that no one cared about most of the women and they'd be right."

"They're going to be held accountable this time," Matt said,

"What if they get away," Fran said.

"We'll make sure they won't," he said, "that they go exactly where they deserve to go which is prison."

C.J. looked at the certainty in his voice when he said that and wanted to believe him. She somehow sensed in her other world that she would but now, she still needed to figure out what she could be certain of in a world of uncertainty. But she also realized that Butz and Piser had been operating their prostitution ring for a while before it had caught up with them. In large part, because most of the women they victimized didn't have anyone out there looking for them.

She had sat in that jail cell when they first put her in there with Rhonda, wondering if she would spend the rest of her life inside, with no way of knowing where she had come from or who she had been. Had anyone missed her enough to come looking for her? Now she felt luckier than most of the women she had known inside that lockup, that she did have someone who cared enough to do more than just look for her.

Rhonda had tried to help her find her memory, by asking her questions about her past which still remained a mystery to her. She had remembered a birthday party when she had been a little girl, the day of her father's funeral when they had buried him in the cold ground and then the man sitting beside her hospital bed who turned out to be her best friend. Glimpses of memories that hadn't told her much but had left her wanting for more while she had sat in jail

Roy came out to join them.

"They had something on the news about Piser's murder," he said, "Butz told the media that C.J. was responsible for killing him."

C.J. looked up at Matt.

"That's not true," she said, "It was one of them."

"Maybe even Butz," Fran added.

"Everything's going to be okay," Matt said, "They don't even have a murder weapon."

Roy looked serious.

"They do now," he said, "They found it on the garbage dump and they claim that it has C.J.'s finger prints on it."

C.J.'s eyes widened.

"How can that be," she said, "I didn't touch any gun."

"Who does it belong to," Matt asked, "Did they release that information?"

"It was Piser's gun like the agents told us," Roy said, "and I'm sure the ballistics will match the bullet taken out of his body."

"That might be," Matt said, "but she didn't kill him."

"It might not matter at this point," Roy said, "if they put another dragnet out looking for her and the other women."

"Uncle Roy, those men are the criminals," Matt said, "and C.J. was only defending herself against what Piser."

C.J. just looked at both of them talking back and forth.

"I've got to get out of here," she said, "I can't let them find me with you."

She began to walk towards the penthouse. Matt followed her.

"C.J. you can't leave," he said, "They'll find you much quicker. They've probably got the airports and train stations cased."

She countered with her hands on her hips.

"I don't want you to be arrested as an accomplice."

He stepped closer.

"Why don't you let me take that chance," he said, watching her indecision.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt or imprisoned because of me," she said finally, "You've done so much for us already."

"I want to do that," he said, "When I needed you, you've never hesitated to be there."

"He cares about you a lot," Rhonda added, "You're lucky to have someone like that in your corner."

C.J. knew that but that was why she felt she had to leave him. Visions had passed through her mind of other times when his life had been endangered, including when he himself had been shot because he had chosen a dangerous line of work. She didn't want to add to them.

"I just wanted him to let me go, to get his hands off of my body" she said, "So I pushed him off of me and he fell and hit his head."

Fran scowled.

"He deserved it," she said, "You just did what you had to protect yourself."

"C.J., someone else killed him after you left," Matt said, "and we're going to find out who's responsible."

She looked up at him, drawn by the resolve in his voice but inside, she felt less than sure.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 ---Here's the latest in this ancient story. Hope you enjoy and thanks for the comments!

* * *

He had embraced her back then as if he would never let go of her. She had felt his desperation replaced with elation intermingling with an edge of fear that it could all be snatched away again. That he might wake up in the darkness somewhere in an unfamiliar place and still be a fugitive.

"You're back home now," she had said as she wrapped her arms around him, wincing only slightly when he returned the favor and brushed her injured shoulder. She hid it with a smile, pulling away finally and looking at him.

"You really don't look all that bad."

He had smiled at that and she knew he felt okay.

"If you hadn't found the way…"

She smoothed his hair back with her hand.

"I would have kept looking…"

She stretched out on the couch and looked over where Rhonda and Fran were asleep in their chairs, having passed out not too long after dinner. Matt and Roy had gone to meet with some contacts of Roy's from his stint in covert operations, leaving the women alone for a while. C.J. had wandered around the suite looking for anything that appeared familiar to her and once in a while, some item would jolt a memory for an instant before it slipped away again. She'd knit her brow in concentration trying to retrieve it before trying again someplace else. Looking in the wall in one room, she saw photographs of Matt, Roy, another older gentleman and of herself. She looked happy in the photos and tried to remember what had been happening when the camera had captured a snapshot.

She focused on a photograph showing them standing together on a sailboat out on some unknown waters. The camera had caught the joy in their eyes and the laughter on their faces. What had they been talking about that hadn't been captured? She wished she remembered. Glimpses of images in her mind flashed in front of her of the two of them riding on a motorcycle down a highway which twisted and turned like the coils of a snake. Ahead of them, lay a broad span of ocean that reached out as far as the eye could see all the way to the horizon. She had her arms wrapped around his chest, her head pressed against him as they sped down the road towards some place that waited for them.

She then saw the two of them riding their horses across an endless meadow towards a distance throng of dogwood trees, near where a stream wove through like a ribbon through their respective ranches. After tying up their horses, they sat on the banks of the stream and talk for hours before heading back. She had never felt as comfortable with anyone else as she had felt with him.

"You didn't have to punch him," she said softly, one afternoon.

He tossed a pebble into the stream and listened to the gentle splash.

"I couldn't let what he said about you go unanswered," he said finally.

She sighed, reaching for his hand.

"I don't care what he said," she said, "Really I don't. I didn't want to go out with him again. That's what he's really upset about."

He looked at her, noticing how her mahogany hair shone in the afternoon light which filtered through the trees that had formed a canopy above them.

"But he had no right…"

"Houston, he had an opinion," she said, "And all it did was prove that I was right about him and I'm glad I realized what he was like before it became more serious."

"There are other guys who aren't like him."

She shrugged.

"Houston, I'm pulling a full load of AP classes, I've got debate club and I'm trying to keep up with my chores on the ranch," she said, "I probably won't have much time for a relationship anyway."

He hid his smile.

"Of course you do," he said, "What about Homecoming in a couple of months?"

Thinking back, she couldn't remember what her answer had been to his question. Maybe she had laughed it off to avoid answering him. What hadn't she been unwilling to face? She remembered a tall guy with an average build and dark blonde hair as having seemed familiar to her. Who was he and what had happened to him? Everywhere she peered into to uncover her past, more questions arose in her mind instead of answers. She supposed she should try to sleep but her mind filled itself even when she wanted to put aside her search for a little while.

She didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"I'm not the only one still awake," Matt said, sitting on a chair close to her.

She looked at him.

"I was just thinking."

"Remembering?"

She nodded, smoothing her hair back.

"We used to spend a lot of time together at the stream that ran between the ranches."

He sipped the drink which he had apparently poured from the bar.

"Yes we did," he said, "When we weren't working, we used to ride there."

She furrowed her brow.

"Who's Grant?"

He didn't respond right away.

"What do you remember about him," he asked finally.

"That you punched him out mostly," she said, "Did I go out with him?"

"Once."

"Oh," she said, "I didn't like him, did I?"

"You didn't trust him," Matt said, "and you were right not to."

"What did he do?"

"It's not what he did," Matt explained, "It's what he said."

C.J. pondered that and Matt wondered if she remembered.

"Oh I didn't…and he said I did?"

"Something like that."

She shook her head.

"Wow," she said, "I really know how to pick them."

He looked at her as she got up and started pacing.

"A guy who murdered to further his ambitions, another guy who murdered my boyfriend to get closer to me…then Butz and Piser," she continued.

"C.J…"

She looked at him, feeling doubt creeping inside her.

"They weren't all like that…were they?"

He shook his head.

"No they weren't," he said, "Carl was a great guy who really cared about you."

She looked away from him, hiding her feelings.

"Look where it got him," she said, "He's dead now because some guy killed him to get to me."

"That's not your fault," he reminded her, "And as for Robert, he hid his bad behavior very well from both of us. He fooled me too."

She nodded.

"Yes he did," she said, "but you saw through him and then he tried to kill you too."

"That's when you left him C.J.," he said, "and I know that didn't come easily for you."

"I don't remember that part as well," she admitted, "just that at some point he cursed me and threw a gun he had in his hand at a mirror…only it wasn't a real mirror."

"Uncle Roy and I were standing behind it filming him threatening to kill you," Matt said, "When I saw the gun, I almost came out to stop him before he could hurt you."

"He wasn't going to do that," she said, "He just ran and you caught him."

She sat up and drew the comforter around her as she wrapped her arms around her legs.

"I really did love him," she said, "Not years ago, but when he came back, he seemed so different…"

"You thought I was jealous of his success," Matt said.

"I think I was just hurt when you accused him of criminal acts," she said, "I wasn't ready to hear it until I had time to spend by myself. Then I remembered that you had always been my best friend and would never intend to hurt me."

"But I did anyway," he said, "and I didn't want to do that."

She nodded, and then furrowed her brow.

"What about Justin?"

He looked at her in surprise when she said that name.

"You dated him all through high school," Matt said, "before he went into the Marines and you went to university."

She leaned back on the couch.

"He was very nice," she said, "though always pushing the envelope in life but not with me."

Matt knew that Justin had a reputation of being a troublemaker but he had always treated C.J. well. If he hadn't, then he'd have to deal with Matt and he knew that Matt could take him. C.J. didn't know about that understanding that had existed between them and Matt felt no reason to tell her that now.

"He's out of the military and working as an electrical engineer in North Carolina," Matt said, "He's got a wife and three children."

C.J. nodded, figuring as much.

"Sounds nice," she said.

Matt heard the wistfulness in her voice and wondered if part of her remembered enough about her relationship with Justin years ago to regret how it had turned out.

"You'll find whatever it is you're looking for too," he said.

She laughed.

"I'm not even sure what that is," she said, "I still don't know who I am."

He sat down next to her so that their shoulders brushed.

"You're a woman who loves the life she has built for herself," he said, "Who works and plays hard but is kind and gentle to those in her life who are her friends."

"Like you?"

He paused.

"I would say so," he responded, "You and I have been friends for years."

"But that's all we've been…"

He nodded slowly.

"Well yes but…"

"And you've never been tempted," she said, "Have I…"

Now Matt felt as if a mine field or two had sprung up around where he'd been standing.

"Well…"

She rubbed her eyes before proceeding carefully.

"Did I ever throw myself at you," she asked, "Did I do something that stepped outside those boundaries?"

He shook his head, thinking about the isolated incidents when they were much younger that really didn't count in this equation.

"I wouldn't say that."

She tilted her head.

"I never made a pass at you?"

He tried to be diplomatic.

"Maybe a time or two, but I gave as good as I got."

"Really?"

He nodded, watching her.

"It probably was for the best," she told him, "Our friendship…"

"You didn't think it would survive if we got together and then broke up," he finished.

She frowned.

"I guess I did say that," she said, "I hope I was nice about it."

He smiled.

"You were," he said, "And you were right."

She furrowed her brow.

"Was I?"

Her words startled him.

"What do you mean," he asked.

She sat there for a while looking at her arms which were still wrapped around her legs.

"Maybe I was wrong."

His brows rose.

"I always wondered that," he said, "but I never challenged you on it."

"Why not?"

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"Because you meant what you said," he said, "that you didn't want us to mix the two and wind up hurting each other."

She sighed.

"We probably would have done that," she said, "After all, how many girlfriends have you had in the past year?"

He rubbed his forehead.

"You mean you don't think that I'm ready to settle down with one woman?"

She heard the tone in his voice and felt uncomfortable.

"I didn't say that to hurt your feelings," she said, "I don't remember much to know but I do remember how much you love women."

"You remembered when I was in college…"

She nodded.

"Partly," she said, "You were on the football team and dated the cheerleaders."

"Only a couple of them," he said, "Stacy and Audrey.

"And you dated members from some of the sororities," she said, remembering a party where women had flocked around him for hours.

"You had your share of boyfriends," Matt countered, "and you still had enough time to graduate with honors."

"I'll have to take your word for it," she said, "I don't remember much, just bits and pieces."

"We both had our separate lives," Matt pointed out, "and we kept them apart from our friendship."

She nodded again.

"I guess we did," she said, "but I think I remember sometimes wondering what it would have been like if we hadn't stuck to keeping those parts of our lives separate."

"Meaning…"

Her face tinged a pale shade of pink.

"If we…did become a couple."

He watched her struggle with different emotions on her face as she struggled to grasp onto some memories which continued to elude her.

"Would we have lasted?"

She looked at him, waiting for an answer to that question.

"Maybe…"

He considered that.

"We were both young," he said, "and neither of us was ready to settle down. There was still a whole world in front of us."

She nodded, releasing her legs to where her feet rested on the carpet.

"I don't know if we would have made it work," she said, "and then what would have happened to our friendship?"

Matt paused to consider that, wanting to believe that the deep bond they had developed between them could survive anything including a failed romance. But none of his relationships with other women had ended amicably during that period of his life. When he broke up with the women he dated, he never really saw them again unless he bumped into them on campus. On the other hand, C.J. had been a mainstay in his life no matter what since they were much younger. He would have hated any thought that he would have relegated C.J. in that category.

She looked at him for a long while and he wondered what she was thinking. Was it about him and what could have been, or what was now? He thought about asking her that but the night was getting late and they had to make an early start tomorrow to make the trip to Arizona and Bannon County to work on putting Butz and his cohorts in the prostitution ring that had snared C.J., Rhonda, Fran and other women, away for good.

"Maybe we'd better call it a night," he said, and she looked up at him nodding.

Her eyelids had begun to flutter and she had yawned several times. Only a few days ago she had been fighting a serious infection and she needed to get plenty of rest especially considering what lay ahead of all of them. They had to go to face what lie ahead of them before she could truly come home. He went to a closet and pulled out some blankets, handing one to her so she could burrow beneath it on the couch. He sat in a nearby chair, resting his feet on the coffee table and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come and bring with it, the task that lay in front of them.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 –Thanks for your patience on this one as there's gaps in the reconstruction of this old story to fill. Thanks for reading and for your comments and feedback.

* * *

They both slept well that night in the penthouse suite and C.J. woke up first, not recognizing where she was at first and then she remembered yesterday, and last night. Her discussion with Matt about the perimeters that defined their long-time relationship had shed some light on his place in the life she still didn't remember. But frustration still stirred inside her at the bits and pieces that were missing that could go far to bridge the gaps in her recollection of the past. She got off the couch and stretched, quietly as if not to wake Rhonda and Fran who still were dead to the world. Not surprising considering the frantic pace of the previous day. She hoped that the federal agents who dropped by to look for them wouldn't make a return engagement. Hopefully, they would be ready to hit the road to go back to Bannon County before they came back.

Matt still lay asleep on the chair, his legs sprawled in front of him and her face flushed as she remembered how she had broached their relationship in terms of whether or not they were ever tempted…shaking her head to clear it of things that couldn't be. The emotions that rushed through her when she looked at him confused her. If they had never been intimate, why did she feel as in a sense they had been?

She walked over to the wet bar to go find some of that juice Roy made to get her morning started. Suddenly she heard the elevator sound and she froze in her tracks. She looked around, realizing she was exposed out in the open if it were the agents returning or even worse, a hit man hired by Butz to finish them off like he had already done to some of the other women who escaped Piser's party. She thought about running back and warning the others but just stood there, her heart in her throat. The doors slid open and relief hit her when she saw Roy exit into the front lobby. He looked up and saw her standing there and smiled.

"I bring breakfast," he said, showing her some paper bags, "It's fast food but it should fill you up for a while."

She nodded and helped him place the food on the coffee table. The aroma of eggs and bacon did its magic and the others began to stir. Rhonda and Fran pounced on the food almost at once. Matt joined his uncle near the bar.

"We're going to hit the road pretty soon before those feds have a chance to come back looking," he said.

Roy nodded.

"I'll cover you here," he said, "I've got much more experience being interrogated than you do. After a couple of hours, they'll have told me much more about them than they'll get from me."

Matt smiled.

"I'm not going to challenge you there," he said, "I wonder how the traffic is on the highways."

Roy poured himself some juice for himself and the others.

"It's the weekend," he said, "If you leave pretty soon, it shouldn't be bad all the way to Phoenix."

Matt rubbed his jaw.

"We'll head on to Bannon County from there," he said, "but we're going to have to be careful that they don't see us because we're going to need some element of surprise."

"I think that what's left of Butz' operation will be too busy dealing with the feds and state police crawling around to notice you at least for a while."

"They're out there killing girls," Matt said, "They've already gotten three of them. Three witnesses who will never testify against them."

Roy nodded.

"But you have three with you who will be able to testify against those men and put them away for a long time," he said.

"That's what I plan to do Uncle Roy," Matt said, "I don't want those creeps to ever see the light of day for what they've done…"

C.J. walked up to where they were standing.

"Have you eaten," Matt asked her.

She nodded.

"Thanks for the breakfast Roy," she said, "It really hit the spot."

"We're going to hit the road pretty soon so maybe you should all get ready," he said, "There's showers downstairs if you'd like to use them."

She smiled.

"We'll make sure to save you some warm water."

They watched her walk away.

"She still doesn't remember very much?"

Matt looked at his uncle.

"It's coming back to her," he said, "but pretty slowly and her recollections…they are unpredictable."

"That's normal for her form of amnesia," Roy said, "But that's a good sign that she'll get everything back in due time."

"I don't know what to do if she doesn't," Matt said.

"You'll help her rebuild her life," Roy noted, "because you care about her an awful lot."

Matt thought about it. He knew that his uncle had read him correctly and he would do whatever it took to help C.J. cope with permanent memory loss. And even if she had to reconstruct a new life for herself and essentially a new identity, that didn't necessarily mean heartache. Maybe she…they could build something even better for themselves. Guilt nagged at him for even thinking it but some of what she had told him last night had hit home.

After her breakup with Robert, she had been forlorn for a period of time and he had helped her through that just as she had when his relationships with several women hadn't worked out. She understood him better than anyone else and had supported him all of his life, even if that meant giving him a swift kick in the behind every so often.

Then a thought hit him.

"Roy, I forgot to tell them where the fresh towels were," he said, "Excuse me."

His uncle just shook his head at his departing nephew and resumed drinking his juice.

* * *

Matt headed down the stairs and went to the linen cabinet to find some towels for the women to use after they showered. He heard the water running and decided to set the towels just outside the shower. Fran and Rhonda sat near the gym equipment.

"This is some spread you have here," Fran said, "You could live in this place."

"Sometimes I stay here when I'm too tired to head back to the beach house," he said.

Fran scrutinized him.

"How many houses do you have anyway?"

"Several," Matt answered, "I've got a ranch outside of Houston that belonged to my Daddy and a chalet in Tahiti and a townhouse in New York City and Paris."

Rhonda's eyes widened.

"You are loaded…"

Matt sighed and put the towels down.

"I've got more money than I'll ever need," he said, "but money by itself doesn't buy happiness."

Fran snorted.

"It would sure make a good start."

For some people, maybe, Matt thought but it could also bring on its own host of problems. He looked at the shower and heard someone singing. The door was opaque so he couldn't see inside it but the voice definitely belonged to his best friend.

"What…"

Rhonda rolled her eyes.

"She's been singing for a while now," she said, "I think it's Willie Nelson or something."

Matt nodded, remembering that Nelson had been one of her favorite country singers while growing up. They had even gone to a concert or two of his together.

"I don't think she'll be getting a recording deal anytime soon," Fran noted.

Matt headed closer to the shower.

"C.J., I've brought you some fresh towels," he said.

She stopped singing and moved closer to the door so he could see her face. She smiled at him, a bit shyly.

"Thanks," she said, "I'll be out in a minute."

He looked at the other women and Fran raised a brow.

"You want to join her?"

Matt felt himself grow a bit flustered and Fran laughed.

"You men are so typical," he said, "You pretend to be all high and mighty but underneath it…"

Matt shook his head.

"It's not like that between us," he said, "We're close friends."

Fran shook her head.

"I've heard that line before from guys," she said, "and this is the perfect opportunity for a man like you because she doesn't remember where you fit in her world."

Matt scratched his head.

"Only a creep would take advantage of a woman in that situation."

Rhonda nodded, not giving Fran any help.

"You mean like Piser and Butz," she said, "They knew C.J. didn't remember who she was and they used that against her."

"They've probably been doing that to women all along," Matt said, "It's all about money and power to them."

Fran shrugged.

"She can take care of herself," she said, "She learned that from someone."

Rhonda nodded.

"She took care of Fran in the showers back at the jail," she said, "Fran tried to beat her up."

Fran shrugged again.

"I found some of Butz' papers in her clothes," she said, "I thought she worked for him. How was I supposed to know about her background? She didn't even know."

Rhonda harrumphed.

"She took care of you a lot faster than I did in the jail yard," she said, "The girl can fight."

Matt knew that because he had trained her in self-defense tactics before they moved out to L.A. And it had saved her life and on more than one occasion, his own as well.

The shower door opened and C.J. reached for her towel and wrapped it around herself before coming out. The whiteness of the fabric presented a startling contrast to her tanned skin and water dripped from her hair.

"Who's next," she asked.

Matt coughed, averting his eyes.

"Well as they say," he said, "Ladies first."

He left them and Fran rolled her eyes.

"Look at him go," she said.

Rhonda shook her head at Fran.

"He's a gentleman," she said, "Something you clearly don't understand."

Matt had retreated up the staircase away after C.J. had gotten out of the shower. He had always known she was a very attractive woman but right now, he didn't need to be reminded of that. Roy remained where he had left them.

"How are our guests doing," he asked, appearing nonchalant.

Matt bristled.

"They're…fine," he said, "I brought them some towels."

Roy nodded absently.

"I'm sure they appreciated it."

Matt looked at his watch.

"When they get ready, we'll hit the road in about an hour," he said, "before those agents even think to come back here."

* * *

Sure enough, an hour later, they had gotten into one of Matt's cars and had headed off down the streets of L.A. to turn onto the highway that would take them most of the way to their destination. The sun felt warm on them as they had rolled down the windows and enjoyed it. Rhonda and Fran looked out the window at the sites which flew by them and Matt turned on the radio for the latest news.

"_This is Sheila Gordon for KBOX coming from Big Bear where not too long ago a vehicle was recovered that was reported stolen several days ago from the Las Vegas area. It's believed that three women stole the car while eluding a manhunt launched by the FBI to find them for questioning in connection with the shooting death of Semour Piser, a member of the State Board of Correction who was found dead inside his ranch house which had been set on fire, most likely to cover up his murder, according to an FBI spokesman…."_

Fran threw up her hands.

"So a creep got killed," she said, "Whoever did it should be getting a medal."

"They think C.J. did it," Rhonda pointed out, "and they won't stop looking for her until they find her…and us."

Matt turned onto the main highway.

"They're not going to find anyone," he said, "We're going to find the real killer first."

"I think Butz or one of his henchmen did it to cover their tracks," C.J. said, suddenly.

Matt nodded, believing that was probably what had happened and the killer did it knowing he could pin it on the women because many of them had criminal records. But C.J. didn't, which might wind up complicating their plans.

"I just hit him on the head," C.J. said, "to get him to leave me alone."

"Someone should have done _that_ a lot sooner too…," Fran grumbled.

Rhonda shrugged.

"Most of the women were afraid of him," she said, "and felt like they couldn't do anything to stop Piser and Butz."

"Well Piser's dead now," Matt pointed out, "and that just leaves Butz and he's not sophisticated enough to hide his crimes. He's probably spilled out everything he knows to the feds and state police."

"Then why does he have men who are trying to kill us," Rhonda asked.

"I don't know," Matt admitted, "but we're going to find out and stop them from hurting anyone else."

C.J. listened to the resolution in his voice and she knew that if he said he would stop the criminals behind the prostitution ring, he meant it and wouldn't stop until he had succeeded.

The four of them continued driving down the highway to Bannon County.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14---the latest update on this story. hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments.

* * *

C.J. looked out the window and saw scenery much different from what actually lay in front of her. She still saw desert, with cacti and tumbleweeds interrupting the continuous span of sand as far as the eye could see, all the way up to some distance mountains that were only several shades darker than the ground.

But suddenly she saw a sign that read Bannon County and that confused her because she realized that they still had several hours to go to even reach the Arizona state line. She felt the air brush her hair and the sunlight hit her skin and realized she wasn't seated inside Matt's vehicle but inside a convertible. She thought she had been looking at something, a piece of folded paper that bent further in the wind. What had been on that paper, she couldn't remember but suddenly she looked up and saw a truck approach her right in her path. She grabbed the steering wheel and swung a hard right, pushing her car off of the highway.

Suddenly flames surrounded her and her body felt frozen even after she had fidgeted with the seat belt and released it. Pain struck her temple and she blindly reached up to touch it, bringing back blood on her hand. She winced when she moved around trying to find a way out of the vehicle before it…well she had to get out of there fast, that she knew. The doors didn't work or she couldn't get her bruised body to cooperate to open them. Fear filled her suddenly because she had tried to get her bearings on where she had been coming from and realized all she drew was a blank. Then she tried to remember who she was, her name if she had one and nothing came to mind. She panicked for a moment, and then used the adrenalin that had filled her to hoist her body over the door and then felt herself hitting the dirt. She instinctively crawled away and then collapsed as she felt and then heard a large explosion which she assumed had involved her car. She kept her head down until the noise receded, along with the heat that had licked her body without burning it. When she lifted her head again, that was when she saw it in front of her.

A small bunny rabbit.

"Bunny…"

Matt looked over at her.

"What is it," he asked.

She just looked at him for a moment, feeling a bit self-conscious and then looked back out the window.

"That's what they called me," she said, "I didn't really know why."

Fran snorted from the back seat.

"Well yeah, that's what we thought your name was," she said, "Though you never really answered to it."

C.J. shook her head.

"It wasn't my name at all," she said, "It was the first thing I saw after…"

"After what," Matt asked.

"The accident," C.J. said, "I swerved to avoid a truck and went off the road."

Matt remembered seeing the burned out husk of what had once been her car and marveled that she survived such a horrific accident when she could have easily burned to death. For a brief moment, he had felt keenly exactly what it would feel to lose his best friend, a feeling he would never want to experience again.

"Your car caught on fire," he said, "but you clearly had gotten out of it in time."

"Barely," C.J. said, "I couldn't move at first and I couldn't remember anything about myself. I was so scared but I think that's what got my body to move."

"You looked pretty banged up when I saw you in that dive," Rhonda said, "I thought some guy had smacked you around a bit."

"I remember the bunny I saw," C.J. said, "and then everything was so blank. I just got up and tried to hitch a ride to town but no one stopped so I walked for hours."

"We were going to get a bite to eat when Butz and those deputies showed up," Rhonda said.

C.J. frowned suddenly.

"They came in and accused us of…soliciting," she said.

"That creepy bartender called them," Rhonda said, "He hit on you when you first walked in."

Fran nodded.

"I used to see that guy all the time," she said, "Butz paid him under the table to help him get girls for Piser like he did a few other guys."

C.J. remembered being chased by the bar tender after she had tried to escape, when her instincts prodded her out of her shock. But the man had grabbed her and handed her to Butz even though she tried to get him to let her go.

"I fought so hard," she said, "but he wouldn't let go. Then Butz and the other deputy shoved us in that van to take us back to the jail."

There had been bars on the window and barely any room in the back compartment for them to even sit down. C.J. had felt like a caged animal, as the vehicle bumped on a rocky driveway before heading back to the smoothness of the highway. They had driven a while surrounded by darkness and she had just looked at Rhonda, the two of them stunned into silence. She hadn't known why they had been abducted by law enforcement officers from the bar when they had done nothing wrong, certainly not what they had been accused of doing. Her heart had still pounded in her chest, her breath still tried to get away from her as the vehicle continued moving and she heard words being spoken by the two men but she couldn't make them out. Something about "girls" and "politicians" and "parties", nothing that made any sense to her. She looked over at Rhonda and saw that the other woman had sized up the situation.

"When they come and get us, play along with them," Rhonda said, quietly, "until we can find a way to escape."

"Who are they," C.J. had asked.

Rhonda smirked.

"Bannon County's finest," she said, "I haven't been to a small town yet where the police weren't worse than the criminals."

"What do they want?"

The other woman sighed.

"We're both women," she said, "What do you think?"

C.J. looked around the compartment again for a way out, even trying to stand up. The van hit a rough patch of road as it turned off the main highway and she fell down.

"Easy girl," Rhonda said, "Save your energy for when you can actually use it."

"I'm not going to let them touch me."

"Honey, they've got guns and they've got all the power," Rhonda said, "Like I said, play it by ear until we can figure out how to get away. They can't take anything from us we can't get back except for our lives."

C.J. pushed herself against the wall of the compartment and tucked her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

Rhonda just shook her head.

"It's a real shame that none of your high society friends are out looking for you…"

C.J. looked up and saw that Matt had turned the car off the main highway, to stop to buy some gas in a small town which really looked more like a truck stop. Before Matt could even get out of the car after parking it, two young women approached it, dressed in spandex and wearing tired expressions.

"There's women like them on the edge of every town," Rhonda murmured.

After it became clear who they wanted to spend time with, Matt politely declined and they moved onto a semi truck parked nearby.

"It's a tough world," Fran said shaking her head.

C.J. watched the women, wondering about them. Where their families were and whether or not they were out looking for them. Fran caught her expression.

"No one gives a damn about those women," she said, "Their families probably kicked them to the curb if the men weren't abusing them."

Rhonda nodded.

"Maybe their old men sold them to the owner of this truck stop," she said, "They look like they have a lot of miles."

"That will be us in a few years," Rhonda said ruefully.

C.J. looked at the both of them.

"How can you say that?"

Fran gave her a pithy look.

"Because Rhonda might be defective but she grew up like I did," she said, "Dirt poor and with families that were already broken into pieces before we showed up."

"But there's another life out there."

Rhonda looked at Fran who rolled her eyes.

"Look C.J.," she said, "You've got a degree from one of those fancy Ivy League schools and that didn't come cheap. You probably didn't come from a family that scraped by and viewed you as a burden."

C.J. had remembered that her father had died when she had been a little girl but had very little memory of her mother. And she knew Matt had come from money but she knew that he had clearly worked very hard to get where he had succeeded in his life. Even without much of a memory of where she had come from, she still looked at her life and saw options, rather than a dead end road.

* * *

_Play it by ear…_

That had been Rhonda's advice just before the vehicle had finally stopped adjacent to some building surrounded by even more darkness. The doors had finally swung open and Butz and the other deputy had pulled them out of the van. Butz had headed to his office relegating his deputies to take the women to a jail cell. As soon as the cell door had closed behind them, C.J. had slid down on the bench, her back firmly pressed against the wall, trying to process her surroundings. Rhonda had been restless and had paced back and forth but C.J. just froze, her senses going into overload. The walls appeared to move inward, the ceiling downward to meet the floor with her caught in the middle.

Rhonda finally looked at her, and sat down beside her.

"Easy," she said, "I know this place can get to you but you have to take deep breaths and just chill out. There's nothing you can do about it anyway."

Rhonda knew that Butz had appeared particularly interested in C.J. perhaps because of her expensive clothing that clearly wasn't off the rack of Kmart. She knew as soon as they had wound up at the detention center what Butz' racket involved and that it was some form of prostitution. And she knew that the men who ran these operations often picked a woman or two for themselves and if that were C.J., she would find out soon enough. As for herself, she would focus on trying to find a way out of there and see if she could find any of the women that she had seen through the windows of the cells they had passed, to help her.

* * *

Matt had returned to the car and filled it with gas. He had brought some soft drinks and gave them to the women who were all thirsty from the hot sun at this point. Arizona definitely wasn't too far in the distance.

C.J. pulled off the tab and took a long sip, swallowing quickly.

"You feeling better," Matt asked.

She put her drink on the center console and looked at him as he prepared to start the car.

"I'm fine," she said, "It's hard not picking and choosing the memories that come back."

His brows lifted.

"What did you remember?"

She hesitated, not knowing if what she had to say would be useful or not.

"When we were in the bar," she said, "Rhonda and I and Butz showed up with his deputy."

Matt nodded.

"They took you back to the detention center."

C.J. looked back out the window at the scenery that passed by as Matt turned back onto the highway. Rhonda and Fran had settled down in the seats behind and were trying to get some sleep.

"Rhonda told me when we were inside the van to play it by ear," she said, "I'm not sure I ever really followed that advice."

His hands gripped the steering wheel harder.

"C.J., you were caught up in a very bad situation," he said, "You did the best you could."

She took a deep sigh.

"I fought it every step of the way," she said, "I fought the bar tender when he grabbed me, with more than I thought I had. I fought Butz when he tried to…"

She couldn't finish and Matt didn't push her. A silence filled the space between them and she just kept her focus outside the window.

"What stopped him," Matt asked finally.

She had hit him with her fists when he pushed her on the couch, pressing against her body and thrusting his hands underneath her shirt. Then the door had opened and in walked a deputy who tried to look anywhere but at the two of them. She had used that lapse in attention by Butz to get away from him and run across the room.

"There was a fight in the jail yard between Rhonda and Fran actually," she said, "He had to deal with it so he left me alone in the office."

She remembered rifling through Butz' desk without wondering why she had decided suddenly to do that. In the middle drawer, she had found some photos of scantily dressed women with men and a list of women paired up with men's names.

"That's when Piser came in the office looking for Butz," she said, "We spoke a little bit. I didn't know he was in charge of the operation until we were alone in the house."

Matt looked at her but she still had her face turned away from him. She had also put up some more physical distance between the two of them. He wanted to reach out to her and touch her hair, to reassure her as he had often done in the past but resisted.

"C.J. I know all this is tough, but you're going to get through this," he said, "and you won't be alone."

She still didn't look at him but he saw her nod slightly as they continued driving towards Bannon County, the sun setting at their backs and the stars beginning to light up the purplish blue sky.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15---Here's the latest chapter of this older story. Hope you like it and thanks for reading and the feedback.

* * *

C.J. had been relieved when one of the deputies had rushed into Butz' office to tell him about the fight in the jail yard between Rhonda and Fran. Butz had shot one last look at her before taking off with his deputy outside, leaving her alone in his office.

She had left the cell block with Rhonda and the other women not long ago to go outside for the lunch meal which was served outside on a grassy area adjacent to the building. Some of the women had said in passing that meals were the high point of their daily schedule. Not because the food was all that great but because it allowed them time to get out of the stale environment of the bloc and feel the sunshine on their faces. Except for the peak of summer when it scorched the yard and everything in it, to a crispy brown. While they headed out as a group to the yard chattering on the way, they had encountered two deputies and one of them immediately set his sights on C.J.

"You've got company," Rhonda muttered, from next to her.

C.J. just looked at the deputy before he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from the other woman. She looked back at them, suddenly feeling fear course through her. Rhonda had shot her an encouraging smile before the women disappeared outside.

"Butz wants to see you," the deputy said.

"But I want to go outside with the others," she said, looking at him.

"You'll join him," the deputy smirked, "after he's finished with you."

"What does he want," she asked.

The deputy continued walking, with her in his grip.

"He's just going to lay out some ground rules," he said, "If you know what's good for you, you'll listen like a good girl and go along with the program."

C.J. hadn't liked the sound of that, but had said nothing until the deputy had left her with Butz who had lifted his body out of his chair and approached her. She had instinctively stepped away from him, her eyes never leaving him. And he had done as the deputy had promised, by laying down the rules that she was to follow while in his custody. Essentially he had given her a choice, to be his mistress or to take her chances inside the cell bloc. When she had pretty much opted for the latter, he had tried to force the issue physically by taking what he wanted rather than asking for it. Since she had expected that, she had been ready for him but he had proven to be stronger than her. He had forced her on the couch and had been groping her while she tried to push him off of her when the door opened and in walked his deputy.

When he saw that Butz was already busy, he almost walked out but then remembered why he had interrupted him. After the two men left, C.J. realized that they had left her alone in the office, to wait for Butz to return and finish where he had left off. She left the couch and stood in the middle of the office for a moment, waiting for her heart to stop pounding in her chest. Then she felt her curiosity get the better of her and she began looking around the office. At first, just to get her mind off of the sheriff but then as she absorbed more details inside the room, she found herself gravitating to his desk. She began rifling through its drawers almost before realizing it as if drawn to follow some unknown script inside her head. She didn't dwell on the whys behind her action but began pulling items including photographs out of one of the drawers in Butz desk. She frowned as she examined them, discovering image after image of women being photographed in skimpy outfits with men. The smiles on the women's faces looked forced as some of them were captured by a camera sitting on the men's laps or wrapping their arms around them.

They fascinated C.J. but she put them down and reached in the drawer, picking up a piece of paper with writing on it. What looked like two columns of names, one for women and one for men. What the columns meant, she didn't know but she knew she had to find out and she needed someone's help. So she reached for the phone and began punching in phone numbers that just flowed through her fingers, again without her thinking too much about it. She just felt as if it were the natural thing to do and not having much else to draw on, she went with it.

* * *

Inside the car, she looked up at Matt.

"I called your office that day," she said, quietly.

He took his focus off of the road and glanced over at her.

"What do you mean," he asked.

She concentrated on that memory which didn't seem much in danger of slipping away.

"I had found a list of names and some photos in Butz desk drawer and I knew that they were important," she said, "but I wasn't sure what to do with them."

Matt nodded.

"A lot of photos did show up in his possession," he said, "They'll be able to tie them with quite a few state and local politicians involved in illegal activities."

"I saw you inside my head, flashing in front of my eyes," she said, "and when I reached for the phone, I knew which numbers to dial."

"You didn't talk to anyone…"

She shook her head.

"No I hung up before I had the chance," she said, "That's when I met Piser…"

* * *

And he had walked in the office, just when she had been about to talk to whomever she had called, so she had slammed down the phone and stashed the list of names in her pants. Knowing she had stumbled onto something if not knowing exactly what.

Piser had been drawn to her almost immediately and she felt that from him, while inside she felt revulsion fill her in his presence, almost to the point where bile backed up into her throat, which felt constricted. He had smiled at her but no warmth reached his eyes as he looked her up and down, sizing her up in a way that every man had since she had hooked back up with civilization after her accident.

When he had reached out to caress her skin, she had backed away flashing him some wariness and he had chuckled at that. He continued to flirt with her and make small talk, while she kept her focus on getting out of the office.

"I wouldn't know," she answered one of his questions, "I'm new here."

He smiled again, reminding her of a snake poised waiting to attack.

"I can see that…"

Butz had come in not long after that and had appeared both chagrined and irritated to see the other man there which aroused C.J.'s curiosity despite her sudden instinct to bolt away from both of them. A deputy came to take her back to her cell before she could learn anything else about the men keeping her captive.

Piser.

The man who had singled her out at his party for his special brand of attention, as his choice of bodies to use as he saw fit. He hadn't immediately put his hands all over her body as some of the other politicians had when they made their choices of "dates" as they were called for the day. She half listened to Piser's banter as he served her a drink and sat her down in the shaded area next to the swimming pool and she watched as one by one the other men led their women into the spacious ranch house. She looked at Piser, waiting for the moment when he would exact what he wanted from her. Where was Rhonda, she thought looking around for the other woman and not seeing her. The plan had been to play it by ear, always looking for an escape route. The other women had warned them while they were getting ready to leave not to bother to escape because every woman who had tried, had been caught by the deputies, hauled off in a van and never seen again.

"They killed them," C.J. said, softly as she and Rhonda had gotten dressed in the skimpy bathing suits that the deputy had tossed their way. C.J. had been feeling groggy since she had eaten her lunch in the yard and Rhonda had to help her change her clothes.

"Honey, we're just going to play along with them for a while," she said, "And then we'll get the hell out of there."

C.J. had nodded, her mouth feeling like sandpaper and her head as if it were stuffed with cotton.

"You've been drugged," Rhonda noted, eying her critically, "I heard they always do that to the girls they think will cause them trouble."

"If you have a chance to escape," C.J. said, "Just go for it."

Rhonda sighed.

"I wouldn't feel right about it leaving you like this," she said, "Besides you promised to introduce me to your well to do friends when we do get away."

C.J. had no idea whether her friends as Rhonda called them were loaded with money or not as the other woman had made that assessment based on the clothing and watch she had been wearing. Not that C.J. remembered where any of that had come from, and given that she didn't even remember her own name, she knew she had bigger problems than where she had shopped.

"I don't want to go," she said, suddenly, "I can barely walk. I'll never be able to get away…"

Rhonda rubbed her shoulder.

"Sure you will," she said, "We'll figure out how to climb that hurdle when we come to it."

The two women had left the cell together and Rhonda had ignored Fran's taunts when she walked by, not wanting to get in another brawl with her. And then one by one, they had climbed in the same van that C.J. and Rhonda had arrived in.

* * *

The night lights flickered on Matt's car as they drove along the street after having left the highway behind. Rhonda and Fran had napped part of the way, but Matt had checked on C.J. from time to time during his drive and saw her eyes fixed out the window. Instinct told him to leave her be and not interrupt her. But as they began passing storefronts, she looked over at him.

"We're here," she said, "That's the bar where I met Rhonda."

Rhonda echoed her recognition of the place which looked as if it had been locked up.

"I guess business has been slow since we left," she said, "and he had to close the place."

Matt thought that maybe the man who owned that dive had received some heat from the cops for his financial arrangement to procure women for Butz and Piser, even if that meant abducting them. Even as an accomplice who left the physical actions to others, he could still face some serious prison time.

"Where are we going," Fran asked.

Matt looked at his watch.

"It's getting late and we've been on the road all day," he said, "We're going to find a place to crash for tonight and then work on strategy tomorrow."

C.J. nodded, feeling suddenly tired. Matt glanced over at her again.

"You feeling okay," he asked.

She nodded, and tried to smile.

"Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix," she said, "and maybe a bite to eat."

They picked a motel just off the main strip which included a small coffee shop, which had been deserted. Matt guessed that the town didn't see much in the way of tourism. He parked his car in a darkened spot and they left to head to the motel rooms. He ordered a room for each of them on his credit card and they separated, agreeing to meet up at the restaurant to fill up on some food.

As they walked to their rooms, none of them noticed a parked truck several yards away where a man sat behind the wheel watching them carefully.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16---here's the latest installment of this older FF story. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the comments!

* * *

The diner looked pretty empty when Matt and the women walked inside to fill their stomachs with some decent food after a long day on the road. A harried waitress walked over to them.

"We've got plenty of tables," she said, "The dinner crowd's come and gone."

They followed her to a corner booth and after they sat down, the waitress handed them their menus and then walked back to the kitchen.

"I think that's Stella," Fran said, "She thinks her daughter Roxie just took off one day and hasn't come back."

Matt turned towards Fran.

"But you know differently."

Fran bit her lip, displaying a rare show of emotion. Whatever she had to say, had to be seriously wrong, Matt knew that. It took a while for her and several sips of water for her to speak.

"Roxie came in about the same time that I did," she said, "Butz fancied her just like he did C.J. only she really refused to go along with the program."

"So what happened," Matt asked gently.

C.J. just sat and watched, already knowing the answer.

"Piser happened," she said finally.

The others looked at her and Fran nodded, in surprise.

"You guessed right," she said, "If Butz wanted her, Piser wanted more and whatever Piser wanted…"

"He got because he oversaw the entire operation," Matt finished, "Is he responsible for her disappearance?"

Fran looked at Rhonda and nodded.

"She was Piser's date at a couple parties and he must have liked her because he kept asking for her," Fran said, "Butz didn't like that much because he wanted her for herself but like you said, it was Piser's show…"

"But she decided she didn't want to anything more to do with him," Matt continued.

Fran nodded again.

"She cornered some of us in the shower room," Fran said, "and told us she wasn't going to put out for him anymore, that he had a real mean streak in him and if she had to go to one of his parties, she was going to make a break for it."

"And she tried that, didn't she?"

Fran sighed.

"As soon as she saw an opening," she said, "She's a fast runner too, having run cross country in high school just not fast enough…"

"The deputies caught her and then dragged her in a van and took off," Matt said, having heard the stories of other attempted escapes.

Fran's eyes grew hard.

"We never saw her again," she said, "She's out with the others…somewhere in the desert."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"They've got state police out combing the area for those unmarked graves," he said, "It doesn't sound like they've had much luck."

Fran's eyes flashed suddenly.

"They're all out there," she said, "They weren't put there to ever be found."

Matt put up his hands.

"Listen I know that," he said, "But they will find them. They have the best tracking dogs in the West and dozens of top agents from the FBI teaming the area."

Fran shook her head.

"Those women shouldn't be out there," she said, "just because they didn't want to be pimped out to some creeps in high places."

Matt looked over at the waitress who was talking to the cashier.

"Does Stella know the truth about her daughter?"

Fran shook her head.

"We don't even know if she'd believe it," she said, "It's pretty unbelievable to some people that this stuff actually goes on. Her daughter was a good kid, had gotten a bit wild but nothing she shouldn't have survived."

C.J. wondered if in her old life, the one she still felt detached from, whether she would have believed that women could face the nightmare of being abducted off the street or from inside a bar and forced into prostitution. She ran her hand through her hair, trying to think back to some time in her past when she hadn't thought of all the terrible things that could happen to a woman down on her luck or missing a piece of her life. Or simply finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and crossing paths with men willing to take advantage of that. An image flashed in her mind of a young woman back at the office they had left behind her. A woman inside a teenager's body with eyes much too old as she told him her story about the man who had been after her younger sister, still a baby herself.

"Butterfly…"

C.J. frowned knowing that hadn't been the young woman's name but somehow…Matt had looked up at her in surprise when he heard what she had said, mostly to herself.

"Do you remember her C.J.?"

She frowned, trying to retrieve more from her recalcitrant memory that so often played games with her these days.

"She was kidnapped, wasn't she?"

Matt heard the distress that laced her voice.

"Yes she was, but she's safe now," he said, "She's living with a really nice foster family and doing great."

C.J. smiled, that a happy ending existed to that story but what about the others?

"Her sister was killed, wasn't she?"

Matt looked at her a long moment, then nodded.

"I remember tucking in a little girl and her asking me about her sister," C.J. said, "About whether or not she would go to heaven because she turned tricks."

"She had no choice, any more than you or the other women did," Matt said.

"I remember trying to tell her that what her sister did to survive didn't define who she had been," she said, "and to remember that she had died trying so hard to protect her from the same fate."

Matt felt his own eyes sting at remembering that particularly difficult case they had both handled involving innocent children like Butterfly and her sister and the men who had exploited them for money and power. Another reminder as if he needed one that the world had its share of truly evil people. But he had learned in his life and through his work that a lot of good existed in that same world as well. He knew that the C.J. in front of him that had his best friend locked up inside of her had been struggling with that too.

She looked over at Stella.

"I think she should know the truth about her daughter," she said.

Matt agreed.

"But I'm not sure we're at the point where we can tell her," he said, "We have to find her first…and the others."

* * *

C.J. and Matt walked back to the motel behind the others after they had paid their tab and said goodnight to Stella whose smile no doubt hid years of pain about the uncertain fate of her daughter. Pain that she hid from strangers and living in a town that seemed to turn a callous eye towards its reputation as a place where women often disappeared, women that no one really cared about or missed.

Women like her young daughter. She had guessed that Stella had filed a missing person's report with who else, but the local law enforcement who just happened to be the man responsible for her daughter's fate. No doubt any information about her daughter that should have been forwarded to state police by Butz wound up filed in the waste basket with the any other reports of missing women. She knew that if she hadn't escaped with Fran and Rhonda, she would have wound up just like Roxie and the other missing women. As it was, she had refused to let Piser take from her what he had wanted and she knew that if it came down to his life or hers, she would have killed him if she had to get away. But someone else had obviously done that job for her. Not that the authorities seem to accept that anyone but one of the inmates who had been at that party could have been responsible for ending his miserable life.

Matt looked over at her as she walked to her motel room and what he saw made him walk over to her. She looked at him, deeply troubled.

"I could have been Roxie," she said, shaking her head and placing it in her hand.

He gently pulled her hand away and placed his fingers beneath her chin so she would look up at him.

"You're not Roxie and you're right here with me," he said, "We're going to get these guys and they're going away for a long time."

She tried to nod but something stopped her. Taking her key, she opened up the motel room and stepped inside. He followed her inside and she didn't seem to mind. She just sat on one of the beds, looking straight ahead.

"I don't blame her for trying to run," she said, "It was either run or kill him."

He heard the steely tone in her voice and he knew that whoever had killed Piser had done the world a favor even if that hadn't been the intention.

"I would have killed him if I hadn't been able to get away from him," she said.

He sat down beside her and stroked her hair, not sure of how she would react to that but she leaned her head against his shoulder as she had often done.

"Did he…hurt you?"

She looked at him, at the question that had been standing between them and slowly shook her head.

"Not for lack of trying," she said, "He tried to give he something strong to drink…to get me to relax and I had already been drugged so when he pulled on my arm to get me to go inside the house with him, I followed."

Piser's mood had changed as soon as they slipped away from the festivities outside by his swimming pool and inside his spacious ranch house. She had looked around her at all the expensive décor and a house that barely looked lived in and knew he was leading her to the bedroom that he hardly ever slept in. He saved it for the fun and games during his parties, his only real reason for spending time in such a dusty rural town only on the map because some accident of fate made it a county seat. And she knew what he wanted from her when they got there. That he expected her to do what he asked, when and where he wanted it. That her life depended on how well she could please him. Her life would hang on the balance each time that Butz herded all the women out of the jails dressed in skimpy outfits to work one of these parties. As soon as he had slipped her inside his destination and quietly closed the door behind him, he had claimed her mouth with his own which tasted of alcohol and tobacco and she had to suppress the sudden urge to push him away, as his hands ran over her body.

"Hey relax babe," he said, "It's not like you haven't done this many times already to different men."

She had wanted to tell him that no, she hadn't sold herself before, but then she didn't really know that, did she? Most of her life before she had wound up inside that bar with Rhonda had remained a mystery, on where she could have done this many times with many different men but somehow…she didn't believe that. At any rate, Piser hadn't really cared about her history or whether or not she remembered it or even her name, he just wanted her body. And when he untied the straps for her bikini top, she didn't stop him. Even as her body remained frozen, her mind sought escape focusing on the door.

"I knew as soon as he put his hands on me that I didn't want this," she said, not looking at Matt, "But there's no escape. Guards everywhere and every woman who had tried to escape… they just disappeared into the earth after they were killed of course."

"C.J…you were in an impossible situation against your will," Matt said, stroking her back, "There's nothing you have to explain to anyone."

"But I want to," she said, "I want you to understand that I don't know myself as well as you seem to…but I do know I didn't want what he wanted from me…I never did."

"And you fought back against him," he said and she looked at him then, nodding, mainly because some deep instinct inside her had pushed her to act but to wait first.

She had recoiled inwardly when Piser had stroked her breasts but had forced a smile on her face, though her eyes sought escape, mentally trying to remember the pathway that they had traveled through the darkened hallway to his bedroom. He hadn't noticed, as he had unbuttoned his own shirt while kissing her and telling her to relax that it would be over soon, when within her, her body had tensed ready for any action that the mind instructed it to carry out. When he had reached for her bikini bottoms, she had placed her hand over his and brought it up to her mouth, forcing herself to brush it gently with her lips. His face broke into a smile in response, clearly in the belief that she had decided to go along with the program. At that point, he had told her to unbuckle his belt and keeping her eyes set on his and biting her lip, she had done just that.

"When he pushed me on the bed, I felt smothered, trapped" she said, "I didn't want him to go further, and I was willing to do anything to get away from him."

And as soon as he had sprawled himself on top of her, she had acted, pushing him off of her with her hands and screaming. Not that there was anyone who would come in and help her but it had helped propel her for action. He had tried to grab her hands and pin them against the bed, but she kept pulling them away and that's when she saw his face change. The easy going good old boy turned politician had disappeared and in its place, she saw within his facial features, rage that chilled her blood. And suddenly she had felt his hands encircle her throat determined to squeeze the life out of her or at least enough so that she would submit. As she struggled to breathe and felt herself weaken, she kept trying to push his chest with her hands, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. So she used them to feel around her for something she could use on her instead. She felt her face smart where he had hit her to get her to stop moving. Still her hand inched towards the bedside stand and suddenly, she felt them land on something hard.

"Stop moving you bitch," he said, roughly.

She grabbed the object knowing she had but a split second to act and focusing all of her energy on that one action, she brought it around and smashed him on the head.

"I hit him as hard as I could," she told Matt, "but he didn't go down easily."

"So you knocked him out," Matt asked.

She nodded, her breath hitching as she remembered that day that had ended with his murder.

"And then I went into his closet to find some clothes to wear so I could get out of there quickly," she said, "Before anyone else knew what had happened. He didn't move the entire time, he just lay there."

Matt knew what had happened after that, what had contributed to a group of women taking off to buy themselves time before they could be hunted down and killed, as some of them had been. They had been finally freed but hadn't lived enough to really savor it and reclaim their lives. Except for C.J. and the two women with him now.

"We got away from that awful place," she said, "but I couldn't get away from what happened there."

He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same with hers, grabbing him tightly as if she would never let go. She buried her head in her chest so he couldn't see her tears come.

"You did get away and you did survive," he said, "the rest will come in time."

She nodded against him, understanding that in some ways that had already begun to happen as soon as she saw him again. He lay down on the bed pulling her with him and she didn't fight that, she just sank against him and burrowed against him, their hearts joining and beating in rhythm as they often did when they were together. And they remained that way until morning, sleeping a dreamless sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 is up! Thanks for reading and for your feedback!

* * *

She woke with a start and saw him still lying next to her on the bed. His face appeared smooth; any signs of stress within it had disappeared when sleep came. She had fallen asleep in his embrace, the warmth of his body protecting her and making her feel safe. As safe as she knew she would ever feel as long as lived in the state of not knowing.

He breathed evenly, lying on his side his body relaxed but ready to spring quickly into action if necessary. She looked at him for a long moment, memorizing the plane of his face, the dark stubble that grew during the night, the scar just beneath his hairline on his forehead from some unknown injury. But she still couldn't really remember him.

They had grown up together; spent many hours deepening the friendship that long existed between them. She had remembered bits and pieces, snapshots here and there of what they had been through, and isolated experiences but much more remained lost to her still even though they had just spent a week together.

He stirred next to her and opened his eyes. She propped herself up on her elbow and smiled at him.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning to you too," he responded, "What time is it?"

"Still pretty early," she said, "Sun just came up."

He started to sit up in bed.

"We've got a lot of ground to cover," he said, "But we should get some breakfast first."

She touched his arm.

"Hey thanks," she said.

"For what?"

She paused.

"For listening last night," she said, "and for staying with me until I fell asleep."

A smile slid over his face.

"Actually I think I fell asleep myself," he said, "I guess the day traveling caught up with both of us."

She stroked the stubble on his face.

"You look well rested now."

He enjoyed the feel of her fingers against his skin, probably more than he should.

"I slept well enough, how about you?""

"Better than I have in a while," she said, "At least from what I can remember."

The space between them narrowed, more than just physically. She traced his mouth with her finger.

"C.J…"

And then her fingers were replaced by her lips.

Softly at first as if she were a breeze whispering on his skin but then he felt her passion infuse him and as she ran her fingers through his hair nudging him closer, his own hands settled on her waist. She moved closer to him and he found himself letting her pull him closer to her.

Then suddenly reason caught up with him and he stopped. She broke their kiss and gazed at him puzzled.

"Why did you…"

"Because this isn't right," he said, "You don't even remember who you are and here I am kissing you."

She ran her hand through her thick mane of hair and he saw a flash of hurt in her hazel eyes.

"I started kissing you first," she said, "and I knew exactly what I was doing Houston. And so did you."

He sighed, looking in her eyes, not wanting her to see anything but what he meant, as he searched very carefully for the right words.

"C.J., our relationship's not like this," he explained, "We've very good friends but there's certain lines we don't cross. And I remember them even if you don't."

Now she looked angry.

"Then what were we just doing?"

Matt had to admit that her question was a fair one. After all, a moment ago he had been lip locked with her while sitting on a bed, one that would have seen some horizontal action if he hadn't himself in. He had never really thought that he…and C.J. well that they would ever be in a situation like this one. And while he had enjoyed it, he couldn't take advantage of her. Since she had lost her memory, too many men had done just that already.

"We were talking after sleeping together…"

She arched her brow.

"Technically sleeping together after some very emotional words were said last night," he continued, "and both our guards were down and one thing led to another."

He seemed content with that explanation. She however was much less so.

"Houston I'm not just some reactionary creature," she said, "I kissed you because I really wanted to and you were perfectly willing."

"After you had told me about how you got away from Piser when he was…"

"Trying to get what he paid for," C.J. said, "I got away and he's not here with us now unless you bring him here."

She seemed nonchalant now about what had happened to her when she had been held prisoner by Butz along with the other women in the jail facility but Matt sensed that this sentiment didn't penetrate very deeply. And that she had really kissed him to prove something to herself, that there still existed something inside of her that those men hadn't touched.

"I'm not trying to do that," he said, "but I'm not going any further with this while you're amnesiac. That's not the kind of guy I am."

She studied him, the earnestness in his face which matched that in his words.

"That makes you an exception," she said.

"I'd like to think that makes me the rule," he said, "but I don't suppose you'd agree and I don't blame you for that."

She sighed.

"Houston, I only know a very small part of my life," she said, "and most of it is not what I want to remember. Except for the part about you and yet I know there's so much more there which I might never have access to."

"Your memory will come back when it's ready to do so," Matt said, "We just have to have faith."

"And if it doesn't?"

He picked up the fear in her question and he looked at her with such tenderness, she felt tears sting her eyes.

"Then I'll do whatever it takes to help you rebuild your life," Matt said, "You'll never be alone.

She nodded slowly, trusting in him that he meant his words.

"We'd better get ready to get some breakfast," she said, "before the others break the door down and we've got some explaining to do."

He left her then to go to his own room to shower and change and she did the same, changing into jeans and a tee-shirt while waiting for him to return.

* * *

Surely enough she heard some loud knocking on the door and after looking through the peep hole she saw the impatient faces of Fran and Rhonda. Opening the door, she let them in and they came in, sitting on her bed.

"So where's Matt," Fran asked casually.

Rhonda shot her a look but the other woman paid little mind.

"He's probably in his own room getting changed," C.J. said, brushing her hair.

The other two women looked at each other.

"C.J…we saw him leave your room early this morning," Rhonda said, "It must have been some night."

C.J.'s brush stopped in her hand.

"Oh Rhonda, don't give her a hard time," Fran said, "After all, he's a pretty hot looking guy and no guy would pass up such an opportunity."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"Fran, if they want to get reacquainted with each other, it's hardly any of our business."

C.J. just watched the two of them talk about her and Matt, assuming that they had been doing something else besides sleeping the previous night. She couldn't really blame them, because most of the time a man and a woman shared a motel room, they usually shared a bed. But really, all they had done was sleep in hers and when she had tried to go further than that with him, he had stopped it.

"Stop talking about me as if I weren't there," she said, finally, "We didn't sleep together…at least not in the way that you're thinking."

Rhonda looked perplexed.

"What other way is there?"

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"I told him what happened to me with Piser," she said, "and he comforted me as a friend."

Rhonda listened to C.J. and knew she told the truth.

"That was nice of him."

Fran snorted.

"Oh yeah right," she said, "That's all that happened…"

C.J. turned on her.

"What's it to you anyway," she said, "Even if we did more than just share a bed together to get some sleep?"

"Nothing," Fran mumbled, "except that if you do are getting distracted, it could put us all in danger."

"I…we are not distracted," C.J. said, "and Houston's too much of a professional to let that happen."

"Oh and how would you know," Fran pressed.

A question C.J. felt she could actually answer easily.

"I just do."

They turned around as they heard a knock on the door and a voice saying that it was Matt. C.J. went over and opened the door and he walked inside.

"Well hello there," Rhonda said, "You're looking lively this morning."

Matt just looked at her confused and C.J. just rolled her eyes.

They left then to go to the diner to get some breakfast before beginning to try to come up with a way to learn more about what had happened with the investigation into Butz and Piser's prostitution ring in their absence.

* * *

Matt and C.J. walked just behind the other two women across the parking lot to the diner when Matt noticed a vehicle parked in the lot under a sprawling tree. His eyes narrowed to see if anyone was sitting inside of it but it looked empty. He wondered if there were any other guests in the motel which had appeared pretty vacant.

"What are you looking at," C.J. asked, clearly picking up his body language.

He smiled to himself thinking that despite her amnesia, clearly a part of her remained in tune with her best friend.

"That car just seemed a bit out of place," he said.

She frowned.

"It looks like it's just parked," she said, "I think I noticed it last night or one just like it."

Matt shrugged.

"There could be other guests here," he said, "but my senses are just on hyper alert because I'm pretty sure our return here will not go unnoticed for very long and probably won't be welcomed."

She grimaced.

"You're probably right about that and I'm still on every 'wanted' list."

He nodded.

"That's why we're going to have to be careful," he said, "Maybe we'll need to get some disguises."

She sighed.

"As what," she said, "Traveling salesmen?"

He thought about it.

"We can't take a chance on you or the other two getting spotted and picked up," he said, "Either by the good or the bad guys."

"It's a little difficult to figure out who fits in what category here."

He knew what she meant, having already encountered a corrupt sheriff like Butz and his deputies who had probably murdered innocent women to keep a tight lid on their operation. Just how many women, Matt didn't know yet but he figured it probably wasn't a small number. From what he knew about Bannon County, quite a few women had wound up there but fewer of them had left it.

They walked into the diner and didn't see Stella waiting tables this time but a couple of middle aged women and a bus boy.

One of them, Mildred, handed them some menus.

"You have your pick of a booth or a table," the waitress gestured towards the relatively empty eating area.

"Where is everybody," Rhonda asked.

"Oh they've come and gone," Mildred said, "Mostly media people from all over because there's going to be a press conference later on in that scandal that's broken out in our quiet little town."

C.J. and Matt looked at each other.

"You must be tourists," Mildred guessed, "The state police has just busted a prostitution ring right here in our midst. Of course it involved felons and drug addicts and they'll say just about anything to get police in trouble."

Another woman came over to drop off some glasses of water.

"Oh no Mildred," she said, "I've had my suspicions that something was up for a long time. I never trusted that sheriff…and I certainly didn't vote for him."

Mildred turned around and put her hands on her hips.

"Louise, that's just garbage. Those women are just trash and you know it," she said, "It's lies all of it. How can outsiders come in and talk such nonsense about the people here?"

"The police investigated it," Louise pointed out, "They must have found something and there have been many girls that came here and turned up missing and some of them went to that bar down the road."

C.J. looked up at her. It stung her to hear Mildred talk about the women who were forced into prostitution in such derogatory terms but before she could tell her so, a different side of her stopped her. Matt had the same idea and she could tell from his stance and the tightness in his jaw, it took everything inside of him not to do the same thing. But they both knew they had to stick to their plan that brought them there.

"The one down the street," she asked.

Louise nodded.

"The creep that runs it," she said, "Two state police cars showed up there and took him out in handcuffs."

C.J. flashed back to when she had struggled to get away from him, first by running and then by trying to force him off of her when he had captured her. Not that it had done much good since a minute later, she had been grabbed by Butz and slammed in the back of the police van.

"They say he took bribes to help the men running the ring get their hands on some women," Louise said.

"Lies all lies," Mildred continued.

Louise just shook her head at her.

"How can you say that," she said, "Stella's daughter could be one of those women. She hasn't been seen in ages."

Mildred did tone it down after that reminder but she shook her head one last time and returned to the kitchen. Louise just watched her.

"Don't mind her," she said, "She's always been like that but what those men did…that's just plain wrong. I hope they lock them up forever."

So did the others.

"Did you know about what was going on at the bar," Matt asked.

Louise thought about it, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up.

"I just had my suspicions after Roxie vanished," she said, "And the way the guy that ran that place stared at his female customers…"

She shivered and took a deep drag.

"Gives me the creeps," she said, "But it looks like the state police are all over it now. I just hope they find Roxie. I used to go to school with her. She was a nice girl, never got into trouble or anything."

C.J. just sipped her water glass, knowing that if they ran into Roxie at any point, it wouldn't be good news but at least it would give her mother some closure.

They ate and paid their tab and walked back to their motel rooms.

"Even if we find her," C.J. said, "She's probably dead."

"I know she's dead and buried somewhere," Fran said, "No doubts about that."

* * *

Matt continued walking, keeping an eye on the car that was still parked under the tree, but seeing no obvious movement inside of it. Something about it just sent the hairs on the back of his neck prickling, a sign that something was up.

"Well we'd better get ready to go to that press conference," he said, "I'll tell you what. You wait here and I'll come back with some disguises so you won't stand out."

C.J. looked at him puzzled.

"Where are you going to find…"

"Don't you worry," Matt said, "I promise you it will be good."

He walked off then and the three women just watched him. Fran shook her head after watching him get inside his car.

"When it comes to friends," she said, "Damn you sure know how to pick them."

C.J. almost retorted back but decided it wasn't worth the energy. Of all the things that either remained a mystery or were just plain messed up in her life, Matt stood out as the one thing that felt perfectly right.


	18. Chapter 18

The next chapter of this older FF story is up. Thanks for reading and for your feedback!

Rhonda looked in the mirror.

"You have got to be kidding," she said.

C.J. felt inclined to agree except she realized that Matt knew what he was doing here and when it came to picking the perfect disguise, she couldn't think of any better options.

"I look like a penguin," Fran groaned, "in drag."

Matt watched the three women pose in their new outfits getting a better look at them. C.J. ran her hands down the wool fabric and turned towards Matt.

"So what order are we members of again?"

He smiled in return.

"The Sacred Order of St. Josephine's Daughters."

Fran snorted.

"You've got to be kidding," she said, "There's no way anyone is going to buy that we're…nuns."

She said that last word as if in distaste. Rhonda nodded, for once in agreement with Fran.

"I never even went to Catholic school. I mean I was supposed to but I ran away."

Matt held up his hands.

"Ladies, no one is going to look at a nun as anything but a nun. It's the perfect cover"

Fran and Rhonda looked at each other, not quite convinced.

"I don't know if I can pull this off," Fran said, "I've never acted like one in my life."

C.J. looked at the both of them.

"I wouldn't remember if I did," she said, "but somehow I doubt it."

Matt almost responded to that, but decided after this morning, to pick his words carefully.

"I think you'll do just fine."

"I mean the chastity vow would be really tough going," C.J. continued, eying him as she adjusted her headpiece.

Rhonda agreed.

"Yeah I mean when you got to have it, you got to have it."

C.J. chuckled.

"Amen to that…I think."

Fran just rolled her eyes at the two of them.

"I don't know either one of you," she said, "I think I can handle it."

Matt adjusted his collar in the mirror and then looked at his own reflection.

"Look if it makes you feel any better," he said, "I've never been a priest."

Fran and Rhonda turned to look at him and Rhonda put her hand on her hip and whistled.

"I have to say I've never seen one as fine looking as you are," she said, "A nun looks at you and she just might rethink some of those vows."

"Some of them or just one," Fran asked, her eyes mischievous.

C.J. couldn't disagree with either woman, after all she knew what looking at him did for her. What she didn't honestly understand is how the woman with her looks and name had managed to keep her hands off of him all these years. Because the woman with amnesia just wanted to run her fingers all over him.

Matt coughed and put the crucifix around his neck.

"We'd better get going," he said, "We have a press conference to attend."

They all drove off to what passed for Bannon County's halls of governmental power and discussed the intricate planning during their drive. Occasionally Matt glanced at the rear view mirror and noted a familiar car tailing him. He kept his suspicions to himself but thought that the car looked an awful lot like the one that had been parked in the motel parking lot.

He made a few deft turns down different smaller streets and the car followed closely behind. C.J. glanced over at him puzzled.

"Are we lost?"

He shook his head.

"No…no we're almost there."

They turned into a lot outside the unimpressive building which served as town hall. Media vans and trucks lined the parking lot and various men and women holding microphones and followed by camera men milled through the area.

Matt parked the car and the women got out gingerly, without messing their habits.

"We'd better split up," he said, "Wait, I'll get your literature out of the trunk."

C.J. turned towards him.

"Literature?"

He brightened.

"Yes, you're going to be preaching the word of God to those in attendance and handing them these brochures and bibles."

She raised a brow as she looked at what he handed her from the trunk.

"This doesn't exactly look like a receptive audience for this kind of message," she said, "These are all media outlets looking for some way to exploit the victimization of women for ratings. Sex sells and all that."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"I'd rather hit them on the head with the Bibles than hand them out."

So would Matt actually but what they needed was to find a way get more information on the situation while they were fugitives. C.J. spoke up next.

"We've got to stick with the plan."

The others finally nodded and they broke up. C.J. took her stack and walked towards a crowd of media personnel preparing her speech.

Matt watched her go and knew better than she knew herself that C.J. would play her part well. He would move around the crowd before the press conference began to see who would show up. The newsman on the radio that morning had said that Butz somehow had sprung himself despite high bail and Matt figured that he had to have a benefactor somewhere.

Then up ahead he saw a state police officer standing perimeter that looked like a friend of his and so he walked up to him. The officer looked up and confusion filled his eyes.

"Excuse me…Father…"

"It's me, Houston, Matt Houston."

Then the officer's face lit up and he shook his hand.

"Couldn't tell with the collar," he said, "I heard they were looking for you back in L.A."

"A couple of agents dropped by the office."

The officer looked around and then focused on Matt.

"You do know about the three female fugitives who are wanted on murder charges."

Matt sighed.

"They didn't kill him," he said, "One of them knocked him out and then when she fled, someone else came and shot him with his own weapon."

The officer's brows knit.

"How do you know?"

"I'm doing my own investigation."

The officer shook his head.

"Houston, you have to let the authorities handle it," he said.

"The same ones who began this prostitution ring," Matt countered, "the ones who are hunting down innocent women including C.J."

The officer looked confused.

"You mean your business partner," he said, "I haven't heard her name tied up in any of this."

"She's got amnesia," Matt said, "No memory of who she is or what she did before winding up here locked up in a detention center."

"The one with women tied into this prostitution ring?"

Matt nodded.

"She and some others escaped," he said, "but except for two other women, the others were murdered soon after in different cities."

"You think Butz' people killed them."

"I know that they did," he said, "and both the feds and they tried to come after C.J. and those other women."

The officer folded his arms.

"Why didn't you bring all this to the authorities," he said, "Why go off on your own?"

"Because it's getting harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys in this caper," Matt said, "and I'm not taking any chances with these women's lives."

"How's C.J. otherwise?"

Matt paused.

"She's doing okay, except for not knowing who she is or very much of her past," he said.

"Is it permanent?"

"The doctor wasn't sure," he said, "I hope not but either way I'm going to make sure everything's okay."

The officer shook his head, a rueful smile on his face.

"You haven't changed at all," he said, "You're still out trying to fix the world."

"Just one corner of it," Matt said, "This one…I'll see you around."

"I'll keep an eye out for anything," the officer said, "but be careful…though the outfit helps."

C.J. had bumped into both Fran and Rhonda as she kept her eyes and ears open while walking around the parking lot. The chairs and the podium at the top of the steps leading to the entrance of town hall remained empty.

She half listened to conversations that the media representatives had with each other that mirrored those she had earlier in the diner among the waitresses.

"Those women were guilty of something," one woman said, "after all, why were they in jail in the first place?"

"This is much ado about nothing," a man said, while a makeup artist patted his forehead with a sponge.

"It definitely put this backwater spot on the map," another man adjusting his tie said, "Who knows, it might be a boon for tourism."

She shook her head at first and nearly walked away from them and their callous words. But this time something stopped her. Maybe it was the costume.

"How can you say such things," she said, fingering her rosary, "The Lord loves all his people, even those who are lowly and he judges us with the most on how we treat those with the least."

They all looked at her, a nun who likely had been cloistered up in some convent shielded from the rest of the world.

"But these women chose their lots in life," the first woman said, "After all, only guilty people wind up in jail."

"No, it's those who are arrested and booked with crimes who sit in jail," C.J. said, "and those who can't afford to buy their way out until trial."

The media people all looked at one another.

"Who are you," one of them asked.

"I'm Sister….Hope… and I help those who are less fortunate."

"Well okay sister you go ahead and do that," one man said, "but the rest of us will focus on what's real."

C.J. had to struggle not to roll her eyes at them.

"You know nothing about what's real," she said, "You just take other people's pain and spin it for audience shares. "

One newswoman turned towards her.

"Oh, so you're a critic."

"No, just someone who's known the realities of the women that you overlook in your news stories because on ratings or circulation numbers," C.J. said.

"That's not a very fair generalization," one media person said, "We're just out here trying to get the story and bring it back to our audience."

C.J. held onto her patience.

"You do more than that," she said, "You talk about these women as if they're criminals who deserved what happened to them without interviewing any of them."

The media people looked among each other.

"They aren't going to be at the press conference," one of them said, "They're probably all locked up except for the three that are wanted on murder charges."

Another man scratched his chin.

"Oh yeah, one of them offed a member of the state parole board while he was holding them a special banquet at his mansion."

C.J. just shook her head, not sure where to start educating this bunch and not sure that was her vocation. Even if they did know the truth, would it really matter if it wasn't glamorous enough for the late-night news?

"Here's some free Bibles," she said, handing them out, "but so you know, the man deserved what he got."

With that, she walked away leaving them stunned in her wake. The one who recovered the quickest pointed at her.

"Did you just see that," he said, "A nun advocating murder, isn't that going against one of the 10 Commandments?"

C.J. ran into Matt not long after that and he noticed that she didn't have any Bibles left.

"You actually handed them out?"

She shrugged.

"I had a part to play after all," she said, "and just handing them off was the easiest part of it."

He looked at her.

"Not the friendliest crowd," he noted.

She shook her head.

"They all believe it's the women's fault."

He heard the despair lacing her voice.

"They don't know what the hell they're talking about," he said, "They never do."

"What is this press conference going to be about," she asked, "Is it going to be about getting justice for the women of Bannon County or about backing those corrupt politicians?"

Matt couldn't answer that because at this point, he honestly didn't know.

"Where the others," he asked.

She looked around and didn't see them.

"Hopefully not getting in fist fights and getting arrested for disturbing the peace," she said, "I was sorely tempted myself."

"We need them to maintain their cool."

"I'm sure they will," she said, "They want these men to go down as much as I do."

And in her voice, Matt could hear just how much. Suddenly he looked up and saw Fran and Rhonda come walking towards them, concern on their faces.

"What's going on," C.J. asked when they arrived.

Rhonda and Fran looked at each other.

"Butz is with some local politicians," Rhonda said, "and most definitely not in handcuffs. I think they're going to support him."

C.J. shrugged.

"Would you expect anything different," she said, "Considering that it takes a corrupt town to cover up a prostitution ring?"

"I want to break them," Fran said.

Matt looked at the determination in her eyes.

"You…we're going to get our chance," he said, "but we're going to have to merge in the background here for a while and find out which side of the coin is up."

"One way to look at it," Fran agreed, and then her eyes turned towards the steps, "Looks like the fools are getting started."

They turned to look towards the makeshift stage in front of town hall and saw a group of well dressed men standing behind the podium conferring to each other while Butz in plain clothes stood to the side.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press," a loud voice boomed, "May we have your attention."

Everything grew silent and people waited expectedly, hungry for the next tidbit. The man at the podium introduced himself as a member of the county seat's board of supervisors before getting to the gist of his speech.

"As you know an unfortunate chain of events has rocked our county," he said, "and smeared the names of our top political leaders all the way up to the state capitol…and there's been one cold blooded murder already…"

Oh C.J. didn't like the way this was sounding. She looked at the others and could tell she didn't stand alone.

"In response, the leaders of Bannon County are offering a $500,000 reward…"

Rhonda snorted.

"For the apprehension of the men who pimped us?"

"I doubt it," Fran muttered.

"Reward for what," Rhonda asked.

But C.J. knew as the man continued speaking.

"The reward will be for the apprehension and successful prosecution of the three women who viciously murdered Semour Piser…"

The three women standing in nun habits in the back felt suddenly surrounded at palpable anger that swelled after those words had been spoken and felt like they were in hostile territory.

In other words, they knew they had returned to Bannon County.


	19. Chapter 19

Hi, have finished another installment of this FF story. Hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Rhonda looked incredulous.

"I can't believe that someone's actually going to put up that much in reward money to find the person who offed Piser."

Fran glared at her.

"They're not interested in his killer," she said, "In case you didn't hear right, they just declared open season on any crazed vigilante in the state to come after us."

That finally clicked with Rhonda.

"Oh yeah that's right," she said, "They put a bounty out on us, didn't they?"

Matt turned to face them.

"Now don't worry about it," he said, "No one's going to come after you and we're going to find out who really killed him."

C.J. hoped so. She saw the look in the eyes of the people standing around her and the things they said so freely because they didn't know the women they degraded with their comments were standing in their midst. After all, all they had seen were three nuns and a priest who had shown up to distribute Bibles and some free advice.

"I'm not sticking around her long enough for them to wonder why we showed up at a press conference," she said, "I don't think we're going to find the real killer here."

Matt didn't think so either because he knew that Butz didn't have the cojones to pull the trigger and if he were responsible, he would have someone else do the job. But he did figure that Piser had been killed by someone within his own organization who had betrayed him and that those responsible had set his home on fire in hopes of hiding their deeds.

Several media people lingered nearby taking notes on what the mayor had said while others questioned him for further details but the politician had been circumspect. Matt wondered if he had been one of the guests at Butz and Piser's parties.

"That's a lot of reward money," one reporter mused.

Another huffed.

"You think so," she said, "These are professional killers judging from the burning rubble they left behind."

"Bannon County is going down the tubes," another lamented, "It's not the place you can raise your kids anymore, what with murderous inmates going after such find upstanding men as Semour Piser…"

Okay now C.J. really had to get out of here now or she was going to commit some mayhem by telling these media people exactly what kind of life the murder victim had lived and how much pain he had caused in many women before someone mercifully took him out. And she had no feelings of remorse about his departure from the earth after what he had tried to do with her. Not to mention the women who had disappeared and most likely were lying dead somewhere forgotten. The man deserved to die for that.

"No one in the town wanted the jail put there," a reporter said, "but the politicians received kickbacks to look the other way while it was built."

C.J. rolled her eyes wondering if the reporters had even bothered to investigate exactly what kind of payments the politicians had received for having the jail just outside their town limits. She and other women had been forced into the position of making those payments in full with their bodies, to serve as entertainment for the politicians even up to the state capitol.

She noticed that one young woman who looked like a reporter stood off to one side, talking into a cell phone and she moved closer to her.

"Listen Jack, I know there's a bigger story here than just the murder of that parole board member," the woman said, "What if he really was guilty of running a prostitution ring with the female inmates, do you really think that anyone would question it in this hick town?"

C.J. felt her interest perk up.

"Well don't ask me anymore about that damn reward because I think it's just a cover up…I think the real story here has to do with political corruption and crimes being swept beneath the carpet than some loser getting killed by a woman prisoner…"

The woman finally got off the phone and turned to look at C.J.

"Anything I might help you with sister…"

C.J. took a deep breath.

"Can I talk to you for a moment," she said, "if you'll follow me."

The woman nodded and the other reporters took notice. C.J. just shot them a glance.

"I just know exactly when one of the lost sheep is ready to return to the flock and just needs a little guidance," she said, walking away.

The other reporters just looked at her and shrugged before returning to their conversation about who would get the reward money for apprehending the homicidal trio of women running around loose.

* * *

Matt had watched as C.J. had approached the reporters and wondered what had led her to do that. Rhonda and Fran were ready to bolt and he thought it might be wise if they just move along before anyone caught wind of who they really were and what they were doing there.

"Do you think they'll hang us or just shoot us," Rhonda asked.

Fran shook her head.

"I sure as hell aint waiting to find out."

"Me neither…I'm for going right now."

Matt looked at the two women and held up his hand.

"Wait a minute here," he said, "We have to find out what C.J. is up to before we do anything."

"Where is she," Fran asked.

Rhonda saw her talking to a female reporter.

"What the hell does she think she's doing," she said, "Getting the posse ready to come after us with torches?"

Matt shook his head.

"She might be trying to find us an ally."

* * *

C.J. had led the reporter whose name was Stacey over to a cluster of trees away from the parking lot. Stacey had followed her, curious to learn why she was being called over for a conversation with a nun.

"Hey sister, I should tell you up front that I'm Methodist."

C.J. fingered her rosary beads.

"That's okay," she said, "I'm not even Catholic."

The woman's eyes widened.

"Then why are you dressed up like a nun?"

C.J. paused a moment, watching the woman's face for signs that she could trust her.

"I'm one of the women that they're trying to hunt down," she said, "but we didn't do it. We didn't kill him."

"You're serious aren't you?"

C.J. gestured her over to a nearby bench and they sat down.

"Then who are you really," Stacey asked.

"I'm a lawyer…actually that's what I've been told."

Stacey looked even more confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

C.J. took a deep breath.

"I have amnesia and I don't remember much about my life or even my name."

"Then how do you know that you're not…"

"A prostitute or a murderer?"

Stacey hesitated.

"Well yes," she said, "How do you know anything about yourself?"

"I have some memories coming back and my best friend…he…he's been helping me figure out the rest."

Stacey nodded.

"Don't tell me," she said, "but he's the priest wandering around here, right?"

C.J. nodded.

"He's an investigator from L.A. and I work with him, at least that's what I've been told."

The woman appeared skeptical as she folded her arms.

"How do you know he's not feeding you some line?"

A fair enough question, C.J. thought, after all just days ago, she had felt the same way.

"I just know that I can trust him," she said, "It's hard to explain."

"Okay, so you can trust him," she said, "So how did you wind up in the wrong part of Bannon County?"

"I was kidnapped along with a woman who was trying to help me," C.J. said, "The bartender called the sheriffs to come get us."

"You mean the bartender who just got arrested by the state police," Stacey said, "They're doing their own investigation."

C.J. knew that because of Matt.

"Houston…my friend…he knows people there."

The woman wrote something down on a notepad.

"And Butz bailed out from jail so obviously someone has big money," Stacey said, "Not that it surprises me, this place has always been crooked."

"He ran the ring with Piser and he kept us all locked up at the jail," C.J. said, "I had been there a couple of days before we escaped."

Stacey nodded.

"Oh yeah when Piser's last party turned into a huge bonfire."

"We didn't have anything to do with that," C.J. explained, "Okay I knocked Piser out when he tried to…collect on his payment but I didn't kill him."

"So you were the last to be seen with him?"

C.J. nodded.

"He was unconscious when I left but I'm pretty sure he was breathing," she said, "Someone else killed him."

"Someone who had a nice caliber gun put a big slug in him," Stacey said, "but there wasn't much trace evidence because of the fire."

"I definitely don't remember anything about that," C.J. said, "I must have been gone by then."

Stacey snapped her notepad closed.

"This all sounds incredible," she said, "I'll talk to my editor and see what he says and then I'll get back to you…here's my card."

She handed it to C.J. who looked at it.

"Maybe we can get in touch later," C.J. said, "I'd better get back to the others."

Stacey's brows lifted.

"You mean they're here?"

"They're…around."

"Okay, well I'd better be going," Stacey said, "I hope to hear from you."

The reporter walked back to the others and C.J. walked back to her group. Matt looked up at her as she approached.

"You okay…I was beginning to worry about you."

She smiled to reassure him.

"I'm just fine," she said, "In fact, I talked to a reporter who's not buying into this tale being told by the mayor as quickly as some of her colleagues."

"That's great," Rhonda said, "is she going to do a story?"

C.J. shrugged.

"She might want to talk to us later on," she said, looking at them, "if you're willing."

"I am," Rhonda said, "I've got nothing to hide."

Fran appeared more cautious.

"How well do we really know her," she said, "How do we know she's not working for Butz and his men?"

"I doubt that she is Fran," C.J. said, "and I think she's really interested."

"Interested in the reward money," Fran grumbled.

C.J. looked at them.

"We need help if we're ever going to get out of this alive," she said, "and I think she fits the bill. I don't want to spend the rest of my life on the run and looking over my shoulder."

Matt agreed. He wanted to help her get her life back so they could return home…after putting some more lowlifes away.

"I think it might be a good idea to set up a meeting with her," he said, "in a place that's under the radar."

C.J. looked over at the two women. Rhonda finally nodded but Fran looked skeptical.

"I don't trust anyone in this town," she said, "I haven't had any ready to. They're all in it together."

"Maybe," C.J. conceded, "but we need to bring this to an end to help all of us."

"And you think talking to this reporter is going to do that?"

C.J. knew that trust came difficultly for women like Fran but they had to start somewhere.

"Yes I do," she said, "I want to be able to put this behind me and go back to my life."

Fran snorted.

"You don't even know what that means."

Matt saw that Fran's words had hit their mark. C.J. hesitated but only for a moment.

"I know," she said, "And until I put this nightmare to rest, I'll never have that chance to rediscover who I really am."

Matt looked at the two women still at odds.

"Why don't we head back to the motel and have a strategy session," he said, "Then we can decide whether or not we'll meet with the reporter."

Fran's jaw remained rigid but she finally nodded.

"I hope we don't live to regret this."

Rhonda just shook her life.

"If we do, at least we'll still be alive."

They all walked back to the car to head back. Matt looked around them to see if they were being tailed while departing from the throngs who still remained after the press conference but he didn't see anyone.

They reached the car and Matt found that the windshield had been cracked and a note rested underneath the windshield wipers.

"Someone left us a calling card," Fran asked, not surprised.

Matt reached for it and then unfolded and opened it.

"What does it say," C.J. asked.

It didn't say much except that if they didn't drop their investigation, they would all be killed. Short and sweet like most handwritten threats.

"Someone doesn't like what we've been doing," Matt deduced.

Fran folded her arms.

"I think that's been obvious."

C.J. looked at them.

"Come on, we'd better get going," she said, "but maybe you'd better look the car over Houston just to be sure."

He nodded and inspected the car for anything suspicious like explosives. It looked okay so they got inside and began to head back to the motel. C.J. just looked out the window and appeared to be in deep thought as she often had been since he found her again. He knew that her mind had constantly been busy sorting through the foggy depths searching for familiar memories, having felt that way himself when he had lost only a month of his life.

They continued back to the hotel but when they reached it, they saw a distraught Louise waiting for them. C.J. got out of the car and just looked at the older woman.

"What's going on," she said.

The woman's eyes looked at her in despair.

"They found Roxie…"


	20. Chapter 20

Latest chapter is published. Hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Chapter 19

C.J.'s heart sunk when she heard the news about Roxie. From the expression on Louise's face, it didn't look like good news.

"Where'd they find her," Matt asked.

Louise looked like she held back tears.

"Out in the desert," she said, "Some recreational bikers found her half buried in the wash."

C.J. drew her breath in sharply and Rhonda bowed her head. Matt looked directly at Louise.

"How long was she there?"

Louise shrugged.

"They don't know," he said, "She was…decomposed quite a bit but she had the necklace her mother gave her when she was a little girl. She never took it off even when they fought."

"Oh my god," Rhonda said.

C.J. felt the same inside, knowing that Roxie could just as easily been she or the other two women if they had been caught while trying to escape. If they hadn't had someone like Matt helping them…they could be buried right next to her in unmarked graves. Piser had been angry enough to squeeze the life out of her when she fought him off of her.

"How'd she die," she asked simply.

Matt looked at her, but her expression betrayed nothing.

"C.J…"

She turned on him.

"I need to know…"

Louise furrowed her brow.

"They don't know," she said, "They said the hyoid bone was broken when they found it…it usually means strangulation, they said."

Matt knew that from his investigative work and some of the cases he'd handled. Serial killings mostly, but also some crimes of passion as they were called.

"They think there are more out there," Louise said, wiping her eyes.

Matt didn't doubt that. He knew that any men that would force women into prostitution even abducting them would be more than capable of killing them. And that's what these men clearly did to the women who vanished. If they didn't go along with the program, they were eliminated and cast aside, so that even their families wouldn't recognize them by the time they were discovered.

"They're combing the desert again," Louise said, "I can't believe such evil's come to our town."

C.J. just stood and watched her, her body threatening to go numb. She rubbed her arms to keep that from happening. She wasn't Roxie, lying out in the desert forgotten, she had escaped. And she would d whatever it took to bring these her killers down. But they needed help.

"We need to contact Stacy…"

Matt nodded and went to the café to use the phone to contact her.

She answered quickly enough.

"I hoped I would hear from you," she said, "Got any leads?"

"Do you want the truth of what really is going on here," he said, "Because I notice that most of the others are just looking for sensationalist headlines."

"They're not me," she explained, "I'm an investigative reporter. I used to work in some papers in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City...did five years in Phoenix."

"The women they're hunting," he said, "They didn't kill anyone. They were forced into prostitution…"

"Okay, you definitely caught my interest and one of the women told me as much," she said, "Continue…"

"The sheriff and Piser were in charge of the ring," Matt said, "and they killed any women who tried to cross them or escape."

"I heard they found a body of a young woman," Stacy said, "No official ID but a source told me she's a daughter of a local."

"Yes, her name's Roxie and a co-worker of her mother's standing with me in the parking lot of the motel where we're staying," he said, giving her the address.

"I'll be there in 20 minutes," she said.

Matt hung up the phone hoping he did the right thing. He walked outside and saw that C.J. and the other two women had led Louise to someplace to sit in the shade.

"I talked to Stacy," he said, "She's on our way here. Would you like to talk with her?"

Louise' eyes looked rimmed with tears.

"I'll do my best," she said, "I was pretty close with Roxie and Stella's…too upset to see anyone."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"Damn these men need to go down," she said, "And only Butz has been arrested and he's out on bail."

"They're rounding up some of the deputies for questioning and they're lawyering up," Matt said, "One or more will confess if the state police turn the screws."

C.J. could only hope but she had little faith in the process or law enforcement for that matter. After all, her experiences with either as far as she knew hadn't been positive. Could she really be an attorney?

Stacy drove up about then in a convertible and got out of her car. Notepad in hand, she walked over and introduced herself to the rest of them. They all looked at her a bit warily.

"Are you going to help us," Fran asked.

"I'm going to write about what happened," Stacy said, "But you've got to tell me."

Fran looked at the others.

"Okay, well it goes something like this…"

All three women told their accounts of what had happened to them, interjecting in each other's stories while Matt sat and listened to them. Even though he'd heard most of what they said before, it still caught him off guard. And built the anger already growing inside of him to the point where he clenched his fists. He wanted to kill the men himself but knew that it would just wind him in prison doing hard time and leave C.J. outside with no one to help her rebuild her life and put her own experience behind her. She needed him much more than he needed to kill for revenge.

After the women finished talking, Stacy appeared subdued but gathered herself to ask them questions which they answered.

"I think I've got enough to start with here," she said, "Are you all willing to go on the record?"

The women looked at each other.

"We're fugitives," Rhonda said, "We don't want the police to find us."

Stacy thought about it.

"I could say that you're unnamed confidential sources," she said, "and I'll keep quiet about it even if they stick me in jail."

Fran looked at her skeptically.

"No offense, but you don't look like you'd last one day locked up."

Stacy folded her arms.

"You might be surprised."

Fran shrugged.

"Don't be offended if we don't come visit you."

C.J. heard the edge in Fran's voice but smiled at Stacy.

"Thank you for talking with us," she said, "and listening to our accounts. We trust you'll know what to do next."

Stacy placed her notepad in her purse.

"I am very good at my job," she said, "and I'll do this story justice."

Louise wiped her eyes.

"Please expose what's going on in Bannon County," she said, "This used to be a nice place where people were born and stayed to raise their families."

Stacy smiled and then walked to her car to drive off. The other women walked with Louise back to the café where other employees stood there in shock. A man walked up to her who owned the café.

"Stella's waiting at the house," he said, "We're going to bring her some food."

* * *

Louise nodded and said goodbye to the Matt and the women before they headed inside the café. Matt looked over at C.J. and noticed how subdued she looked and how quietly she had been even when telling her own experiences to the reporter. He walked over to her.

"Come on, let's go back and regroup," he said.

She shook her head.

"I think I just want to take a break," she said, "I'm feeling a bit tired and this habit is scratching my skin."

The other women nodded and were eager to shed their disguises. They walked to their rooms but C.J. walked slowly so that Matt could catch up. She took his hand in her own and he seemed surprised, as they stopped by her door. She looked into his eyes.

"Please come inside," she said, as she unlocked the door into her room.

"C.J…"

But as soon as they stepped inside the door, she had already pulled him closer to her and her lips covered his own, first tentatively brushing against him and then more eagerly. Her hands ran through his hair, and he felt his scalp tingle as he returned her kiss while she put her arms around his neck.

"I need you right now…"

He broke from their kiss, gazing at her swollen lips.

"We shouldn't…"

She ran her hands across his taut back and he closed his eyes.

"I know… but it's okay…"

He tilted his head, trying to push aside thoughts of her while her touch created sensations which ran through him. Oh and her fingers on his back pulled him towards wanting to move them both towards the bed. Her touch intoxicated him, her scent drove him wild but something seemed out of place…

"You're dressed like a nun…this is strange and I a priest."

"Strange isn't it," she said raising a brow.

That didn't even begin to describe it for him but reining in her libido not to mention his own had to take priority. It didn't seem to be as much of one for her.

She looked down at her outfit and started removing it.

"That's okay, I'll take it off."

The habit came off, spilling over her shoulders and arms, and beneath it, she wore just a slip. He inhaled sharply at the sight of her standing in front of him, dressed in hardly anything which still managed to accentuate her shapely figure. She reached for his alb and pulled him closer to her. He fought to keep from slipping his hands underneath her lacy wisp of clothing and she smiled at him, coaxing him.

"Come on…what are we waiting for…"

He almost let her lead him to the bed that awaited them to finish what they had started but…

"C.J. god, I really….but I can't do this."

"Yes we can," she said, pulling his shirt out of his pants, slipping her hands up on his chest to work his buttons.

"Where do they put the fasteners on here," she mused.

He grabbed her hands tightly in his own.

"No we can't."

She looked at him hurt.

"I really want to make love with you," she said, "and it has nothing to do with not knowing myself. I know this is what I want."

He sighed. Because part of him…let's just say that pushing her away was one of the toughest things he ever had to do.

"Don't you want me," she continued.

He released her hands and they both sat on the bed, not looking at each other...both aching in more ways than one.

"I do…I really… this is really tough for me," he said, running his hand through his hair, "but it's not right. It'd be selfish for me to take advantage…"

She put her hand on his thigh.

"I don't think you could be selfish," she said, as she moved closer, "I think you'd be wonderful, giving, very sexy and I've never wanted…"

He took her hand off of his thigh but held onto it, not wanting to hurt her more than necessary.

"C.J. you don't know what you want," he said, "Not really, you don't even know anything about yourself except maybe some random memories."

He didn't look at her when he told her that but he didn't, to know he had made her angry.

"How can you say that," she said, "I might be missing some bits and pieces of my life but I know who I am."

"Do you," he challenged.

She pulled her hand away from his own.

"More than you know obviously," she said, "You're treating me like I'm some totally helpless person, a blank slate on every level but I've got feelings that I know belong to her…to me."

He weighed that.

"Okay, you do," he said, "but you remember not much more than this one week of your life and every man you've run into has wanted your body…even if that's not what you wanted…and maybe in different circumstances…It doesn't matter, I'm not going to be just another on that list to treat you that way."

She softened a bit when she heard the earnestness in his voice.

"I don't see you that way," she said, "You've been different…"

"I'm not different…I'm your friend."

She thought about that, but his rejection still hurt. She got off the bed and took one last look at him.

"I think you'd better go," she said, "Let's just forget this happened."

The coolness had returned in her voice.

"C.J…"

But she didn't want to look at him, didn't want him there. So he nodded at her feeling somewhat helpless and left the motel room. She sat on the bed by herself never feeling so lonely.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20 is done for this FF story. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C. J. sat on the bed, still wearing her slip and feeling as if she had been rejected. Part of her reminded her that he had only done it because he hadn't wanted to take advantage of her but the part of her which remained on fire felt hurt by his actions.

Maybe he thought that she had only wanted to hit the sheets with him because of her reaction to the discovery of Roxie's body. But she really didn't think that was it, at least not the only reason. She just felt that the physical attraction between them had crackled since they had met…or at least she had met him. He had told her up front that they had never had that type of relationship before she had developed amnesia and she had no reason not to accept that as the truth. But the feelings that ran through her when she saw him weren't just physical, they were emotional. She didn't know if it were love but at the very least, strongly held affection toward someone she still barely knew. A magnetism that drew them together.

She heard someone knocking on her door.

"Who is it," she asked.

"It's me Rhonda…"

C.J. went over to open the door.

"So you and Fran killed each other yet?"

Rhonda passed her and collapsed on the bed.

"No, I think wearing these nuns outfits today rubbed off on her a bit."

C.J. smiled.

"She's actually napping," Rhonda continued, "and with no help from me."

"She was hit pretty hard by Roxie's death though she tries not to show it."

Rhonda pushed her hair off of her face.

"I know it," she said, "I'd hoped it hadn't ended that way for her. She was so young."

"Too young…"

Rhonda lay back on the bed, relaxing.

"So what's between you and him?"

"Who…oh you mean Houston?"

Rhonda rolled her eyes.

"He's the only guy around right now."

C.J. didn't say anything. Rhonda sat up again to study her.

"I mean I saw him follow you in the room," Rhonda said, "No actually, you invited him in the room."

C.J. bit her lip.

"But I notice he's nowhere to be seen now," Rhonda said, "Unless he's hiding in the bathroom…"

C.J. shook her head.

"No he left," she said, "It's my fault."

Rhonda frowned.

"How so?"

C.J. looked pensive.

"He didn't want what I offered," she said, "so he walked out."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"You mean he didn't want to take advantage of you," she said, "because he cares about you as a friend and not just a woman he's attracted to."

C.J. looked down at her hands.

"It's so confusing sometimes," she said, "He tells me that we're only friends and that's the way it's always been but then why do I want more than that?"

Rhonda sighed.

"Feelings are more complicated than memories?"

C.J. shrugged.

"We're supposed to be focusing on clearing our names and here I am trying to seduce him."

Rhonda smiled and rubbed her shoulder.

"In between our efforts to bring down a prostitution ring, there is time for a girl to take a break and think of other things."

C.J. thought about that.

"Maybe…but I can't change the way I feel about him," she said, "And it doesn't seem as if he feels the same way about me."

Rhonda chuckled.

"It's chivalry speaking believe me," she said, "If it weren't for that…and maybe when you do remember more of your life, he'll have changed his mind."

C.J. shrugged.

"No really," Rhonda said, "Especially given your choice in wardrobes."

C.J. looked down at her slip.

"It seemed a bit funny making out in a nun's habit."

Rhonda nodded.

"I would think so yes," she said, "Not that I know from experience."

C.J. got up to look outside the window at the empty parking lot.

"I hope that Stacy will help us," she said, "or that she can."

Rhonda joined her.

"I think she'll give it her best shot," she said, "She seemed like a good reporter. Very inquisitive."

"She'll need more than that to undercover even the facts we don't know," Rhonda said.

"I think we should just trust her to do her best," C.J. said.

But her mind remained elsewhere.

* * *

Matt lay on his bed inside his motel room thinking about what had nearly happened with C.J. He sighed as he realized that he had done the right thing by pulling away from her. Not that he had wanted to, in fact if most of him had made that decision, he'd still be with her right now. But he knew he couldn't take advantage of her and the feelings that she believed she had for him probably because she had little memory of her life and her relationship with him. But still his skin tingled where she had touched it and his body ached from wanting more from her than he thought possible. Still…she didn't really know him, any more than she knew herself. And he didn't want her to look back at an interlude with him with regret when her memory returned.

Someone knocked on his door. He looked up, wondering if it were C.J. and if so, what he would say to her. He thought about it even as he walked to the door and opened it.

But hers wasn't the face which greeted him. Standing in front of him was Stacy the reporter they had just talked to not too long ago. She smiled at him as she waited for him to invite her inside his room.

"May I help you," he said.

"I thought I'd talk to you for a few minutes," Stacy said, "I'm really impressed with your decision to help these women."

"C.J.'s my best friend and I wouldn't be anywhere else," he said, "and these women want to bring these people who are responsible for the deaths of women like Roxie down."

She nodded at that.

"That's an admirable goal," she said, "but we both know it's not going to be easy."

Matt ran his hand through his hair and after she flashed him a smile, moved aside to invite her in the room.

"Not bad," she said, looking around the room, "You staying long?"

"Only to get this situation wrapped up," Matt said, "so C.J. and I can return home."

"Back to L.A. wasn't it?"

He nodded.

"But she has very little memory of who she is beyond her name, right?"

"She's remembering more as time passes…"

She walked into the center of the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"But that's iffy at best that she'll completely recover," she said, "I've heard that some amnesiacs never regain their memories."

"That's not going to be C.J.," Matt said, "She'll get hers back in due time."

"You seem so sure of that."

"The doctor I spoke to was more than hopeful," he said, "but even if she didn't remember fully, she still has friends who care about her."

"Will she accept that do you think," Stacy said, "What if it's not enough?"

Matt had considered that but he figured that the two of them would take it one step at a time. Of course, the fact that she clearly harbored strong feelings beyond friendship for him complicated matters, along with the fact that he had responded to those feelings. Before reining himself in of course.

"What's not to like," she said, "You're a great looking guy perfect in all the right places."

Matt blinked. What did she just say?

"Did you just make a pass at me?"

She just smiled guilelessly.

"Did it work?"

He had to smile at her attitude.

"My, you're…forward."

"I find that being up front works best in these situations," she said, "It's helped me as a reporter and…in other pursuits."

"I can imagine."

She frowned when she noticed he didn't sit down beside her and figured he needed more coaxing. So she patted the bed.

"Come on, I won't bite…"

* * *

C.J. walked away from the window, shaking her head. Rhonda tilted her head.

"What is it," she asked.

"It's that reporter Stacy," she said, "She went to Houston's motel room and he invited her inside."

"I'm sure it's just to talk," Rhonda said, "to get more information for the articles she's doing on the prostitution ring."

C.J. shrugged.

"Maybe…anyway it's his decision what kind of conversation to have with her."

Rhonda shook her head.

"He's not going to sleep with her," she said, "She might ask but he won't accept."

"How do you know," C.J. asked.

"Because he's not that kind of guy," Rhonda said, "And he seems to care about you."

C.J. sighed.

"He seems to like women…a lot," she said, "and at least with Stacy, there's nothing stopping him, no chivalry to get in his way."

"Nah, he's not into her," Rhonda said, "I'll bet you a wager over it if you'd like but not even Fran would take that bet if she were here."

C.J. hedged.

"I don't know…"

"He's going to tell her thanks but no thanks," Rhonda said, "and being a Texan, he'll do it very nicely."

C.J. smiled.

"I know," she said, "He's very nice about it."

* * *

Matt watched Stacy as she watched him.

"You know you're a very nice lady and I'm sure a great reporter," he said, "but I'd rather keep the relationship between us strictly professional, okay?"

She appeared to think about it.

"There's no reason why we can't have it both ways."

"I don't think so," he said, "If this is going to affect your interest…"

She shook her head as she stood up.

"No, no, I never take rejection personally," she said, "I'm very intent on reporting this story especially after what I heard today."

He nodded as she prepared to leave. She turned to look at him again.

"Whoever she is," Stacy said, "She's very lucky to have a man like you."

He just looked at her because he wasn't sure right now that woman would agree.

"Thank you Stacy," he said simply.

She left him alone in the motel room and he lay back on the bed, closing his eyes wondering how this trip to some backwater town in Arizona could get any crazier.

He would soon find out.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22-here is the latest chapter of this FF story. Hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt lay there for a while, after Stacy had left after her failure to seduce him right there in his motel room. He really hadn't seen that one coming because it wasn't like she had been throwing out any signals in that direction while coolly and professionally interviewing them all about what had been happening in the not so quiet Bannon County. He hoped that her coverage of the events that had transpired would offset the sensationalism of the other media outlets which had congregated on the small rustic town like vultures. Most of their coverage had been slanted against the women who had been victimized in the prostitution ring, instead painting them as willing participants in the bringing down of the standard of living in the hardly prosperous burg. Which probably wouldn't even still exist after the closing of the mines years ago if it hadn't been parked near an interstate highway.

His motel phone rang and he wondered who it could possibly be. He didn't expect any more phone calls from Stacy not related strictly to journalist pursuits.

"Hi, this is Houston…"

"Matlock, it's good to reach you."

Matt recognized his uncle's voice on the phone.

"Where are you calling from," he said, as he heard background noise.

"A payphone in Hollywood," he said, "I couldn't take any chance that the office phones were bugged by those two suits that showed up."

"Makes sense that they would try to do that," Matt agreed, "Seeing as these ladies with me are on America's Most Wanted list."

Roy sighed.

"How's C.J.?"

Matt didn't even know where to start on that topic. Was his uncle talking about his lifelong friend and loyal business partner or the woman who had taken over her body, with very few memories of her life but a yen for him and his body.

"She's…doing okay."

If Roy sensed anything different in his tone, he didn't mention it.

"That's good," he said, "We need to get the real criminals rounded up and bring her back home where she belongs."

"Yeah…but which one would be coming back with him? The woman who had kept him at arm's length even when he had been interested in well…more or the woman he had nearly hit the sheets with just over an hour ago? If she'd known how close…

"Hopefully when this case is all wrapped up and we're heading back, she'll have her memory back."

Roy paused.

"It might not come back so quickly," he said, "if it hasn't so far. Does she remember anything else?"

Matt ran his hand through his hair, still feeling her touch there, a hint of her cologne reached him and he sighed again.

"Not much…in the way of memories…no…"

"It could be a gradual restoral or it could come back in a rush," Roy continued, "There's really no way of knowing for sure."

"Yeah well, I'm sure her memories will return and life will…get back to normal."

"Matlock…you sound…a bit overwhelmed…do you need me to get on the highway or fly in to help you?"

Matt considered that, because he could use another trained body to help him bring down the ring and but this whole situation had just gotten too complicated.

"No…you can help me more back in L.A.," he said, "I've got everything under control here."

Well mostly anyway.

"Okay if you're sure Matlock," Roy said, "but you've got people here who can help you so don't hesitate to call if that changes."

"Sure thing Uncle Roy," he said, "Later."

He hung up the phone and lay back on his bed, trying not to think about her. The way her hands had burned his skin and her lips…well there weren't enough words to describe that… He got up and walked over to the mini bar to grab some Scotch.

* * *

Rhonda looked back at C.J.

"Well she left awfully quickly from there," she noted, "Must have sent her packing."

C.J. shrugged as she nursed a beer while sitting on her bed.

"Maybe she's going to the drug store…"

Rhonda just stared at her.

"Come on girl," she said, "He's not going to bed with that reporter. She tried. He shot her down."

"Just like he did to me…"

Rhonda shook her head.

"No with you, he was trying to protect you," she said, "Matt's a nice guy who doesn't want to take advantage of someone who barely remembers her name let alone her life including with him."

"I know enough to realize that life didn't include sex."

Rhonda sat on a corner of the bed.

"See that's it exactly," she said, "Only a jerk would push a woman into bed who he knew didn't see him that way when she had her memory."

C.J. rubbed her forehead.

"It makes my head hurt just to think about it," she said, "If the two of us were so hands off, then why do I have these feelings now?"

Rhonda shrugged.

"Who knows," she said, "But he's looking out for you and when you get your memory back, maybe you'll realize why."

"I just don't know what's going on," C.J. said, "Is this because the only memories I have are of being a prostitute?"

"You weren't one C.J…"

"Only because we escaped before anything happened," she said, "and then someone killed Piser."

"Probably someone even higher on the organization than Sheriff Butz," Rhonda said, "but at least he's not going to hurt anyone anymore."

"Maybe…"

Someone knocked on the door and Rhonda looked at C.J.

"Maybe he's returning," she said.

"I don't know what I'll say to him if it is him."

Rhonda smiled.

"You'll find a way to work it out between you."

The knocking continued.

"Okay…we heard you already," Rhonda said.

C.J. walked up cautiously to the door and looked through the peephole seeing an impatient Fran standing there. She opened the door.

"Oh…it's you…"

Fran entered, looking around the room.

"Who did you expect," she said, "Oh…yeah…him, have you done him yet?"

Rhonda's eyes widened.

"Fran, how rude!"

Fran didn't seem to care about appearances.

"Oh come on," she said, "You know they both want it. But then again, I saw the reporter on his doorstep a while ago."

"She came and left," Rhonda reported.

Fran went to the mini bar and got herself a beer.

"Having a party or something?"

Rhonda folded her arms.

"We're just having girl talk."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"Boring…"

Rhonda just shook her head.

"Maybe for you," she said, "but C.J. and I were enjoying it."

"She'd rather be enjoying him…"

C.J. just watched them go back and forth and settled back in the bed, closing her eyes.

* * *

She opened them and saw him looking down at her where they had both been lying on a couch inside some cabin somewhere. They were quite a bit younger and her lips had tingled from his kisses as he gazed down on her, breathing hard.

Just like her. She noticed that her blouse had been unbuttoned partway and that his shirt…a bit askew. '

"Why did you stop," she asked, hurt.

His eyes told her many things, all at once, mixing desire with regret, fondness with hesitation. She reached up to stroke his face.

"I really want to do this," she said, "I want you…"

And she knew that he wanted her as much even without hearing the words. They had driven to his cabin after they had solved their first case as investigators to celebrate. He had nailed the first check for services they had received from a client to the wall of the newly renovated suite and he had invited her to his cabin for the weekend.

Not to do what they were doing now, she knew because he had offered it as a friend and it's not like they hadn't spent weekends together while respecting the boundaries they had set up between them that had defined their friendship for so long. She didn't even know who had moved first to broach that barrier. They had been walking around the lake and it had started to rain. A little summer squall, fed by monsoon moisture from Arizona, nothing more. But as the storm had built up in intensity, something inside both of them had matched it. The headiness of their new career direction, the depth of their friendship and suddenly an innocent touch in the arm had become something else. Something no element of nature could match.

And suddenly the couch appeared. The next thing she knew they were on it together, struggling to fit within its confined space.

"Ouch," she said when he had inadvertently poked her maneuvering on the sofa.

That had brought them back to their senses and he had started to pull away…further away as he recited the rules of their relationship.

* * *

Matt woke up with a start, and saw that it had gotten dark. He had broken out into a sweat and got up to walk outside the stifling motel room for some fresh air. The dream…it had been a flashback from his past when he and C.J. had been vacationing at his cabin and one thing had nearly led to another and…well he had pulled the stops to it before it got too far. She had acted taken aback but finally had nodded, almost thanking him for doing that. Before…well before their relationship was irrevocably changed.

But then again, she had believed that sex would have damaged their relationship beyond help and he had agreed though he had never really believed that their friendship couldn't weather it. After all, they had remained friends through miles of separation, military stints, the deaths of family, friends, engagements, near-weddings and a psychotic admirer apiece. So why would sex turn their friendship to ashes if nothing else had done that? And why had he been the one that had been telling her why they couldn't cross the land. Had that been what really had happened at the cabin? He didn't think so, because he had been busy thinking of other things like what his best friend looked like beneath her clothing. How her skin would feel beneath his lips, and her hands on him…and his brain hadn't been able to process much more than that.

He shook his head as he exited the motel room and then he looked up and saw her standing near the parking lot…

* * *

C.J. had closed her eyes and relived the moments that she had just shared with her best friend and in her mind, had flashed the moment that he had held her in his arms when she truly had time to process the murder of Carl at the hands of a psychotic admirer from her high school days. She had been running on adrenalin fueled by terror since his death and Too Mean's injuries and her own encounter with Christian Dean.

He had held her why she shed her tears, rubbing her back and whispering in her ear just as she had done for him so many times, most lately when he had been shell shocked after being kidnapped for a month and framed for the murder of a woman tied in with an old family adversary. She had held him as he broke down after it had all ended until he had collapsed spent against her, after telling her how vulnerable he had realized he had been all along that he could be manipulated so easily. Life had its frailties and they had faced them together.

Just as it should be and as she sensed now, it had always been. She had to remember that now when she looked at him again or she would be lost in these feelings that stirred her body and shook her down to her core of beliefs centered around her relationship with the most important person in her life. The man she didn't really remember but that she knew mattered to her like no other.

She would have to meet him halfway and as she looked up and saw him standing there, she smiled tentatively at him and went to meet him.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The latest chapter is up, thanks for reading and for the feedback! Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

They met in the middle of the parking lot. But Matt noted that his best friend looked at him carefully. He didn't blame her after he had put a stop to what nearly happened between them in her motel room.

"I'm sorry…"

She smiled back, but sadness lingered in her eyes.

"No I know why you did it," she said, "I didn't want you to stop but I understand how this makes you feel."

He looked over at her, aching to touch her if only to take the unhappiness off of her face but he knew if he acted on that impulse, soon enough he'd be playing with fire. Because he had wanted it and her as much as she did and it had only been his life-long friendship with her that had reined his libido in, because after all, she hadn't told him to stop.

"You're my best friend C.J. and I remember the parameters of that relationship even if you don't," he said, "I can't take advantage of you not knowing. When you got your memory back, you might hate me for it."

She frowned and shook her head.

"I could never hate you."

He finally reached out to her with his hand and she took it without thinking. She trusted him much more than she trusted her own feelings. He had stopped just short of moving their interlude to the bed because he had cared enough to do that. None of the other men she had encountered since she first woke up from the car accident had cared at all. They had touched her body, assaulted it and she had recoiled inwardly as she fought them off. To them, she was property, a doll dressed up for political bigwigs at the state capitol to play with for a while before casting aside like broken toys. However, they saw fit even if it hurt her in ways she could never recover. In fact, Piser appeared to have enjoyed seeing the fear on her face when he tried to take what he had felt entitled to take because he owned the women in the prostitution ring. Their bodies were his way of paving his own path up the ranks of the power structure in the state's halls of government.

Matt sighed, seeing the indecision on her face even when she said that as if she were still feeling her way through her feelings for him.

"You might not feel that way if I had taken advantage of what you offered," he said, "Our relationship…it doesn't cross those lines and I wouldn't want you to feel pain later over crossing that line without knowing it."

She digested that while they went to sit at a table, feeling the warmth of the summer night slowly cool around them.

"You mean you don't want me to wake up next to you with my identity back having morning after regrets?"

He winced at her words.

"Something like that."

She bit her lip.

"But you responded to me when we kissed," she said, "I didn't imagine that so you did want more from me."

He sighed again.

"What I feel isn't what's important here C.J…"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Of course it is," she said, "I have these memories…I don't know where they came from… that we came close to those boundaries we set before…"

Matt thought back, knowing that their friendship had been tested by one of them pushing against those unwritten rules that they hadn't remembered setting up. Each time, one or the other had pulled away from what happened before they toppled over the edge and surrendered to the physical sensations and raw emotions that threatened to overcome them.

"We did…but we were both completely aware of what we were doing…"

She smiled and stroked his arm.

"But I am," she said, "I know what I want and it's you…"

He closed his eyes, flashing back to the motel room after she had removed her disguise from that day and stood before him. But he had to remain in control of this conversation, that was his responsibility given that she still grappled with who she was let alone how she related to those in her life including him. Her feelings were real, but she didn't understand their context as intertwined as they were with the memories which still eluded her.

"If you really remembered me," he said, "I'm the last person you'd be interested in, really. We're just close friends and we always have been and will be."

She frowned.

"How can you be so sure," she said, "Why then would I feel this way right now?"

He reached for her hands and took them, rubbing them.

"I can't do what you want," he said, "Because I don't think that underneath this, it's what you really want."

"But maybe it's what I really want and I'm just too inhibited in my regular life to act on it."

That theory launched by her stumped him but still, he couldn't succumb to even his own wants not in this situation.

"If I did what you think you want now," he said, "I would be no better than those men who took advantage of you and tried to sell you into prostitution."

"But…"

"No, I wouldn't feel that what I did was any better," he said, "I would be in my own way just as guilty of exploiting you in your current state as them and I can't live with that and what it would do to you."

She heard the tone in his voice and realized that he stood firm on this issue. Nothing that she could do or say would change his mind.

"It's only because you mean more to me than anyone," he said, caressing her face, "I want to help you get your life back and that means helping you remember who you were and what comes with it."

Rhonda and Fran walked up then, obviously bored with being stuck inside a motel room.

"Moving the party out here," Rhonda asked.

C.J. and Matt looked at each other.

"Sounds like fun to me," Fran said, sitting down at the table, "Nice work with the reporters."

Rhonda rolled her eyes.

"Fran do you have to bring it up," he said, "I wagered that he sent her and her notebook packing under five."

"She did leave the building," Matt said, "She just needed to ask some…follow up questions."

Rhonda tilted her head.

"You mean up close and personal?"

Fran just shot her a look.

"Now who's asking sensitive questions," she said, "Now I wagered you'd hit the sheets with her and then decide not to go through with it."

Matt just looked at both of them amazed.

"I didn't come here to hit the sheets with anyone…not that it's any of your business."

C.J. just pursed her lips and looked the other way.

"I'm ready to go to bed…"

She frowned at Rhonda and Fran before getting up.

"Alone…"

They both nodded and then looked at Matt who nodded.

"We've got a long day tomorrow," he said, "So everyone's going to need to get plenty of sleep."

Fran yawned.

"I'm tired; all this drama gets to be overwhelming after a while."

No kidding, C.J. thought. She just looked at Matt and smiled at him, even though she didn't feel like it and the three women walked back to their respective rooms with Matt staring after them.

* * *

C.J. tried to sleep but she couldn't get her mind off him no matter how much she tried. She totally respected what he had said about being hands off of each other and everything but she just couldn't shake the fact that she wanted more than just his hands…She got up and checked the mini bar to see if there was anything to help her sleep but nothing.

Suddenly her phone rang and she gazed at it puzzled…should she pick it up? Who could be calling and how would they know she was in this room? Was it Matt, maybe changing his mind, no if that were the case, he'd show up at her door. No, maybe it was…Stacy the spurned reporter.

But when she picked up the phone and heard the voice, she knew it was neither.


	24. Chapter 24

Here's the latest chapter of this really old FF story. Hope you like it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. listened to the voice on the phone which sounded familiar.

"I know who killed Piser," the voice said, "and why."

That perked her interest because after all, she had been fingered by the law enforcement agencies as his killer even though she had only hit him hard enough to knock him out so she could escape. But she hadn't taken his gun and shot him to death. But she had wondered who had done that deed and then hidden in the shadows while she was being hunted down as the killer.

"I'm listening…"

She tried to think while doing that as to where she had heard this scratchy sounding voice before. Had it been inside the detention facility or had it been at the party at Piser's ranch? A deputy, or a politician looking for a favor? She could scratch her head forever trying to guess, given that her memories weren't always reliable.

"I saw you at the party," the voice said, "I wanted you for myself but Semour always gets first choice of the women as the party's host."

Wait a minute, there had been that man with sandy brown hair and sun glasses. He had been a state legislator all the way from Phoenix. Who was he? Semour had introduced him and he had gazed at her before opting for was it…Rhonda?

"Well are you going to tell me or keep me guessing?"

The man paused and then coughed. C.J. awaited an answer, looking around uncertainly. Matt had stayed outside while she had walked to her motel room and the other two women had joked about him joining her later. That had so not happened and he had already explained why but she had been thrown off her game by this sudden mysterious phone call.

"I'll tell you in person, not over the phone."

Okay, C.J. thought that might work. Something lingered into her mind, an inkling of a time when she had heard someone else tell her…and Matt that and it had happened more than once. Perhaps as part of their line of work because after all, they spent their days investigating cases for clients and surely that meant that they often met with people not eager to spill their information over the phone lines.

"Okay…where do you want to meet?"

The man paused as if thinking.

"I'll meet you at the park…"

C.J. frowned, not knowing that this little town in Bannon County had even had a park. It didn't seem to have much more than some houses and some establishments including the bar where she had met Rhonda. She bit her lip. She really had to have a plan here and Matt would have to help her with that. Perhaps they could all come up with a strategy together.

"And you have to come alone."

C.J. felt her stomach drop at his words. That didn't seem like a smart thing for her to do, after all it could be one of Butz men or even the FBI setting a trap to catch her. But she still had to know who did the murder that had landed her on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

"I don't know if I can do that," she said, "I don't even know who you are."

"Then you won't know," he said, "and when the police catch you, they'll nail you for the crime."

She thought about that. What kind of evidence did they have against her anyway? She had been the last person to be associated with him and she had fled the scene of the burning house which apparently had been an act of arson to cover up his murder. And she still had no idea who she really or what she had been doing before she wound up in Bannon County.

"You were with someone else…"

"A redheaded woman, I can't remember her name," he finished, "Well are you going to meet with me or not?"

So he had been that politician with Rhonda. What could be know about Piser's murder, unless he had been more tightly involved in the prostitution ring than he let on?

"Did you tell the police?"

The man chuckled on the other end.

"They came questioning me and I told them I know nothing," he said, "I can't afford to get tied to this scandal. I'm up for reelection."

"Then you were one of Piser's guests?"

He grumbled.

"I'm not going to tell you anymore," he said, "You'll have to meet me to find out the rest."

She hedged.

"I'll have to think about it," she said, "I'm not going to risk my life to find out what I might be able to find out on my own."

"But you won't," he said, "The killer's covered his tracks so cleanly that no one will ever know."]

"Except that you do," she said.

"You'll have one hour to decide and call me back here," he said, giving her the phone number, "and I'll be waiting until then to hear from you. After that, the deal's off."

C.J. tried to appear nonchalant although her heart pounded in her chest.

"I'll get back to you if I'm interested."

He hung up the phone and she looked at it for another moment.

* * *

Rhonda paced the floor of the hotel room.

"That guy was one of the most powerful legislators in the state," she said, "I think his name was Stuart…something."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"That's very helpful Rhonda," she said, "This guy could be the killer if he knows so much."

Matt looked at the women and then at C.J.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you anywhere near him alone."

She crossed her arms at him, her shoulders back.

"He won't meet with me if I bring a crowd."

He didn't budge.

"I don't care about that," he said, "We'll find the killer another way that doesn't put you more at risk."

"I am at risk already," she said, "The three of us might be the only women left alive and the cops are looking to lock us back up."

Fran nodded.

"I'm not getting killed and I'm not going back to any cell."

Matt sat on the bed.

"We can come up with a plan if we meet with this character," he said, "One that doesn't put you in danger."

C.J. tilted her head.

"Okay then let's do that because I want to find out who killed Semour so he can go to jail and I can go back home."

Matt looked at her.

"Okay we'll do that," he said, "If you do go and meet with him, I'm coming with you."

"But then he'll bolt…"

Matt held up his hand.

"He won't have to see me," he said, "I'll stick in the background and only move if he makes a move on you."

A smile curved her mouth.

"What if he's just doing this to ask me out?"

Matt didn't find the humor in that.

"I'm coming with you," he said, "You're not going out there alone."

She threw up her hands.

"Okay I'm not," she said, "Are you always this pushy?"

"About the things and the people that matter," he said, "and I don't want anything to happen to you."

She sighed and joined him sitting on a corner of the bed.

"It already has Houston," she said, "I'm so far away right now from where I should be and I don't know my way back."

He looked over at her.

"We'll find that way back," he said, "but I'm not risking your life to get there faster. It's not worth it."

She heard the tone in his voice that told her he meant it and nodded slowly.

"Okay then let's go make a plan," she said, bouncing off the bed while he watched.

Damn she was making this so difficult for him without meaning to, whether it was putting herself in danger or acting on her attraction to him. He had a difficult time dealing with either side of her, since the woman he knew had been naturally cautious and had kept him at arm's length honoring their lifelong friendship.

She had dressed herself in jeans and a tee-shirt and she still could knock him off of his feet and take his mind where it had no business going, not with the entire ordeal that still remained before them before they could put Bannon County and its nightmare behind them.

* * *

They drove in a car down a darkened dirt road heading to the park and C.J. had been surprised to actually see that this town had one. It hadn't been in any travel brochure. Rhonda and Fran sat silently in the backseat while C.J. prepared to walk out to the picnic table where the man hopefully would be sitting…alone. Matt knew that the possibility existed that this could be a ruse to trap her and possibly them as well. But they would exercise all the precautions that they could going into this situation. Still when she smiled at him and left the car, closing the door quietly, his stomach tightened as she walked towards the table.

She sat there and he watched her from a distance, his hand on his gun. And then out of the shadows, a man appeared and headed towards C.J. He stood and she gestured to the table and he sat down.

C.J. gazed up at the man who indeed had sandy hair and a tanned complexion. He had casual clothes on but his watch looked impressive on his wrist. He clearly had access to some serious money and he had that air of wealth despite his informal attire. He reached out to touch her arm and she flinched.

"You really are quite pretty…"

"Keep your hands to yourself," she said.

"Touchy, touchy," the man who called himself Stuart said, "I can see the sheriff didn't train you well."

"He tried and I slapped him."

The man chuckled.

"Feisty filly aren't you," he said, "Semour would have had his hands filled with you if he had lived to enjoy it."

C.J. didn't need any reminders of how rough the parole board member had handled her in his bedroom and how lucky she had been to be able to knock him unconscious. Stuart appeared to be some of the same stripe and she knew she would have to watch herself around him. Including suppressing the urge to deck him where he sat.

"Now don't look at me like that," Stuart admonished, "Or don't kill me until after I tell you who killed Semour."

Matt had been watching and the hair on the back of his neck prickled unpleasantly. He didn't like the look of this at all and then his eyes caught movement near some trees in the shadows where someone else lurked. Watching or waiting for a signal from the man? He wasn't going to wait to find out. Rhonda and Fran just looked at him.

"Where are you going," Rhonda asked.

"A bit closer," he said, opening the car door.

Both women watched Matt as he approached the trees where he had seen the other man.

The man who had seen him first.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25-The latest chapter is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. didn't see the action that had been taking place behind her, so intent was she on finding out more information on who had killed Semour. But this sleaze bag of a politician appeared to be playing games with her and she hadn't any patience or time for that.

"Are you going to tell me who killed him or continue to jerk me around about it," she asked not very nicely.

He watched her carefully, appearing to consider it. She waited and then she caught movement from the side. Matt had been moving closer to some rustling bushes and she wondered what was up.

"The one responsible for killing Semour was…"

Suddenly a shot rang out and C.J. felt something whizz past her head, slamming into the chest of the man in front of her. Instinctively she ducked for cover.

Matt saw where the shot came from and took off after the figure in the bushes but the person had already grabbed an advantage. He sprinted through the park, darting around trees and jumping over picnic tables in pursuit of the shooter.

Rhonda and Fran ran over to where C.J. stood in shock looking down at the man, who had blood pooling around him on the grass. She looked up at them.

"He's dead."

They looked at each other in shock at the murder carried out in broad daylight by a faceless killer.

Matt tried to gain on what looked like a tall man running away from him. His side stitched as he tried to increase his speed but so did the man who began climbing over a short fence. Matt thought that would give him the chance to pull the man down off of it before he flung himself over to the other side. However, the man scrambled nimbly over it and cast one final glance at Matt before heading to a car where he got inside and sped away before Matt had hurdled the fence.

"Houston…"

He looked behind him and saw C.J. rushing up to him. He put his hands on her arms and looked into her face.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded as if she had bullets narrowly miss her every day.

"Who did it," she said, "He was just going to tell me who did Piser's murder."

Matt sighed.

"I didn't get a good look but it was definitely a man," he said, "and he was agile and fast, like an athlete."

"Timing couldn't have been better for him," she said, "or worse for us."

He looked over at the parking lot.

"We'd better get out of here," he said, "The cops will be showing up soon."

"Can't have that," she agreed, "but maybe we'd better check him out first."

They walked back to where the dead politician lay and Matt knelt beside him to search for anything useful. He found his ID badge quickly.

"Yeah, he's definitely Stuart the legislator," he said, and continued searching him.

C.J. walked over to Fran and Rhonda.

"He's checking him over and then we've got to leave."

They nodded and suddenly the sound of police sirens split the air. Matt looked up at them and then checked the pockets quickly. He pulled something out of one of them.

"What is it," C.J. asked.

"it's a disc," Matt said, "It's got to have something to do with Piser or the prostitution ring. Why else carry it?"

Good point, C.J. thought and they walked quickly away from the man and to their car where Fran and Rhonda had already beaten them to the punch and gotten inside. Matt drove them quickly out of there and none of them looked over at the squad cars entering from the other side.

"Do you think they saw us," Rhonda asked.

"I bet they got a make on the car," Fran said, "and they'll think of it after they find the dead body of one of the state's big boys."

Matt knew that but they couldn't worry about it now. They had to get back to the hotel and maybe be a little discreet about where they parked the car. C.J. just sat beside him, saying very little as she gazed out the window.

"They're not following us," he said, "They're a bit busy right now."

"I know," she said, "but they'll come looking for us soon enough if there were any other witnesses."

"The park looked pretty empty," Matt said, "I don't think it sees very much action. That might be while he chose it as a meeting locale."

"Probably," she said, quietly, looking back out the window.

Rhonda stuck her head from the back seat.

"I wonder what's on there," she said.

"We'll need a computer," C.J. said, "Fortunately we brought one."

Matt shrugged.

"I figure it would come in handy," he said, as they pulled into the parking lot.

Matt let Rhonda and Fran out and he and C.J. went to find a place to park the car where it would be less visible from the street.

After that, they walked back to his motel room, looking around to make sure they weren't being watched. They didn't see anyone and figured they were okay at least for now. Fran and Rhonda met them as Matt unlocked the key inside his room.

* * *

He went to set up the computer while Fran and Rhonda hit the mini bar getting some Scotch. C.J. didn't want anything to drink. Her heart rate had just started coming down to normal. Matt looked over at her as he plugged the computer in and booted it up.

"You okay," he asked.

"I'm fine if you are."

After the computer had booted up, he slipped the disk in and watched as he was met by a request for a login and password.

"Damn," he said, "We're going to have to get past this gatekeeper."

C.J. smiled at him.

"Move over and let me give it a try."

So he did because after all, C.J. had a much better touch with computers than he did witnessed by how facile she handled their master computer, Baby, when they were researching cases. Her fingers began clicking on the keys and he marveled at how quickly she worked.

"Is she like hacker," Rhonda asked.

Matt shook his head.

"No but she is very skilled," he said, "She had a boyfriend in information technology and he taught her everything he knew. She saved my life last year with her skills."

"I can imagine," Fran said.

Rhonda looked at her in disgust.

"Fran, she had a whole life before she ran into us," she said, "Even if she remembers very little of it."

Matt watched C.J. working diligently.

"Yeah she did…"

C.J. racked her brain trying to think of different possible combinations of logins and passwords that could have been tied with the prostitution ring or the dead politician. Suddenly, she had an idea and she typed in some words. Soon enough, the login disappeared and she saw a list of files. Rhonda's eyes widened and even Matt appeared impressed.

"What the…," said Fran speaking for all of them.

C.J. shrugged.

"I just used his last name and his district number and the password was B and C."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"How stupid."

"Sometimes people aren't always that smart about guarding their business," Matt said, "I learned that in my work and it's helped me more often than not to avoid making guesswork too complicated."

C.J. saw the sense in that.

"What do you make of all these files," she said, "Where to start?"

Then she remembered that list of names she had uncovered in Butz office when he had left her alone but she had lost it during her fight with Fran in the shower room.

"I remember the list of women and johns," she said, "Fran you remember don't you?"

Fran scowled.

"I thought you were a snitch."

"It's back at the jail isn't it?"

Fran nodded.

"I didn't get to pack before we split."

C.J. tried to concentrate.

"I think they're similar to these files," she said, "and I think I see some familiar names here."

Rhonda looked closer.

"Yeah like of women who weren't with us because…"

"They died," Fran said flatly.

Matt agreed with her assertion.

"You're probably right," he said, thinking of the investigation taking place in the remote desert.

C.J. read through the list further.

"There's Roxie," she said.

She drew it up and her eyes widened.

"It's a list of every john, when they paid for her and how much."

Fran studied the list.

"I remember some of these men," she said, "They're not from Arizona."

Rhonda concentrated.

"Yeah…a couple were from other states like…Colorado and…New Mexico."

Matt studied the list and recognized some state politicians that his company had met with several years ago on various business mergers and projects. Before it had become a major success.

"I met with this guy…over some alternate energy sources…he seemed interested in the subject," he said.

Fran snorted.

"He seemed interested in more than that."

C.J. looked at Matt.

"Maybe we should contact Stacy," she said.

His face flushed and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on Houston, I don't care that she tried to seduce you," she said, "It's not like we're going to compare notes."

Rhonda and even Fran suddenly looked at the both of them.

"Okay…that might work," he said, reaching for the telephone to give the reporter a call.

He talked with her and Stacy said she was definitely interested and would be right over. Rhonda reached to turn on the television to see if there was any news on the murder. C.J.'s eyes widened when she saw her photo on the screen just behind the news anchor.

"The body was discovered in the park by police officers not long after reports of shots being fired. He was declared dead at the scene and an APB was placed on these three women who are already wanted in connection with the murder of Semour Piser, a member of the State Board of Corrections who was shot to death before his house caught fire two weeks ago. The fire was believed to have been set by the killer to cover up the crime. In this latest case, an autopsy is pending…"

C.J. sighed.

"Great, now we're wanted for two killings."

Fran chuckled without mirth.

"Are you surprised," she said, "We're the loose women who were already in jail for doing something bad anyway. It's not like the real killers are going to announce what they did."

Matt looked over at C.J.

"We're going to find who killed both of those men," he said, "because I have a feeling we'd be dealing with the same perpetrator."

C.J. thought that was most likely the case but she didn't want to stick around to get arrested.

"Do you think they'll come here?"

Matt shook his head.

"I don't think the people here would tell the cops even if they knew that we were wanted," he said, "They haven't so far and they haven't any reason."

But C.J. still worried as much about him as herself. He had really gone out on a limb to help her and had placed himself in serious danger and who knew what would happen next.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26-this update is up. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Stacy showed up at the motel room quickly enough, eager for more information to add to what she said would be an extensive investigative piece on the prostitution ring that had been operating amidst Bannon County for some period of time.

Before its exposure, C.J. thought listening to her. But how many woman had died and how many bodies would be found by investigators who were currently combing the desert outside the town limits? She didn't even want to think about it. Only one woman, Roxie, had been discovered so far but she would be far from the only one laid to rest in the remote region. So easily it could have been her lying out there rotting if she and the other women hadn't taken matters into their own hands. They were now on the run as fugitives wanted for the murder of one of the men who had tried to victimize them but at least they were alive.

C.J. had really felt that she had been given a lease on life and maybe that's part of the reason she had made the moves on her best friend. That and a ton of physical attraction and no shortage of chemistry between them that had to be real at least on some level to keep bubbling to the surface of her emotions.

If not her memories.

She watched Stacy behave in a flirtatious way with Matt which belied her professionalism. Clearly this reporter wanted a gripping story but the woman also wanted the man at least for a little while. C.J. already knew that Matt had told her thanks but no thanks, but Stacy was nothing if not persistent. Did she actually just rub her shoulder against him when she was studying what had been on the disk that they had found?

Rhonda stood by her.

"She's great at her job," she said, "but really, does she have to make it so obvious how much she wants Matt."

C.J. shrugged.

"What they do is none of my business," she said, "They're both adults."

Rhonda snorted.

"She's not his type…"

C.J. turned and looked at her.

"How would you know," she said, "You don't know him. I should know I guess but I don't remember very much. I just know it's not me."

Rhonda shook her head.

"Oh but it is you," she said, "He's just being chivalrous because you don't remember very much. He doesn't want to take advantage of you for sexual gratification and being a man that makes him a rarity in this world."

If Rhonda said so, C.J. thought. After all, how would she know given that her active memory stretched back maybe a week? All the men except for Matt that she had encountered in this very short time span had tried to abuse or exploit her and he had been the lone exception. Was the world really the way that Rhonda had painted it? She really hoped not but how could she know for sure?

"He can't be the only good guy in the world," C.J. reasoned, "It's too big for that."

Rhonda shrugged.

"I've been around a lot of places and I've met more losers than I can hope to count," she said, "The good men, yeah they're out there but they're not that many of them."

C.J. figured that Rhonda had some knowledge in this area because after all if she did, it's not like she could really remember. She remembered Christian Dean more than she had the man that he had murdered because he had been with her when Dean had come looking for her. Then there was Robert Tyler, another loser who killed simply to advance his own career ambitions. So, even in her old life, she had encountered some truly bad characters. If there were more of them in her background, she supposed she would remember soon enough if her memory ever returned.

But she didn't know now if it ever would because it had been some time already and she still felt the fog shroud every effort she made to remember more about her past. She didn't felt the frustration that she had felt earlier, more like resignation that if her only memory would be of a half-life then she would simply have to rebuild her new life from scratch. Matt had said he would help her do that as would the friends she didn't really remember but she didn't really want to put him through that. After all, he had his own life to live with his own family and his own relationships. She knew by now that he had attracted quite a few of the women he encountered and hadn't been shy about it either. A part of her really envied those faceless women because she really did want more from him and she wondered if she had those feelings before her accident.

Somehow she didn't feel like it had been as cut and dry as Matt had explained it and she knew that he had feelings of his own he had been struggling with. But in the meantime, she noticed that Stacy had moved in on him once again, standing awfully close to him. Not that he seemed to notice.

"Oh Matt, you're so wonderful to be helping these women," she said, "I heard about you from the Arizona State Police I interviewed for my article. They had good things to say about you."

"Well I served in the military with a couple of them some time back."

She looked at the computer but Matt felt her shoulder brush him and he just looked at her. He thought that he had made it clear to her that he harbored no interest in her and that his focus had been on helping C.J. and the other women exonerate themselves of the murder allegations against them and to bring down the prostitution ring.

"You know they might have found some more women," she said.

Matt looked up at her.

"Any more bodies uncovered in their search?"

She nodded.

"They discovered some…remains," she said, "They haven't identified the bones as human or animal yet. They're bringing in an expert from Phoenix."

Matt sighed, knowing that given the area searched, there were plenty of animals that had lived and died there but the women who lay buried there had been brought there after being killed. When he thought that one of them could have been C.J. it just about sucked the breath right out of him. If anything had happened to her, he didn't think he would have ever gotten through it. But here she was still alive and with him, even if she didn't know who she was and the life that they had shared together. He felt optimistic that her memory would return eventually, even if piecemeal as had been the case already. If some memories had fought their way to the surface, then others would surely follow.

C.J. had heard what Stacy had said and tears formed in her eyes that she fought back. There were no place for them right now and they had to focus on stopping these men who had killed these women after exploiting them and worse. There were times she wished she had killed Piser herself for what he had done to other women besides herself. She sensed that he had been responsible for Roxie's death as she knew him perfectly capable of it. After all, she had seen the violence in his eyes and felt it from his hands before she had knocked him out in an act of self-preservation. She hadn't killed him but oh, she wished she had done it. Surely no court could convict her of killing him in self defense when giving her body to him unwillingly hadn't been enough; he had wanted to hurt her in other ways too.

She knew that he had been more than responsible for some of the deaths which helped her sleep at night.

Matt looked at Stacy who had been writing in her notepad. He wondered how far she had gotten in the story and whether it would even see print. Reporters could investigate and write articles but editors and publishers had to give them the green light to be included in the newspaper editions.

"I need to borrow your phone," she said.

He nodded and she went to make a call. C.J. looked up at him and he read the concern in her eyes.

"I heard what she said about finding more of the women," she said.

"They don't know if the remains they found are human or not," Matt said, "but I suspect that they are."

She looked down at her hands.

"At least some of their families can reach closure with their missing loved ones," she said, "the ones who were missed."

He heard the wistful tone in her voice and knew she would be forever haunted by the reality that she hadn't even known most of the time whether or not she would be missed when this nightmare began. At least she knew that she had him and that he would have done whatever was necessary to find her. But he also knew that she felt for the other women who didn't have people like him who cared. People like Rhonda and Fran who were both so estranged from their old lives, even more separated than amnesia had separated her from her own. '

Stacy returned to them, a grim expression on her face.

"My editor wants me to go out to the desert," she said, "Where the search is being conducted."

Matt looked at C.J.

"I sure wish we could find out what's going on," he said.

"I don't think the nun disguise will work again," she said, "but so would I."

Stacy brightened.

"I'll get the news van and you can stay inside there, two of you," she said, "and get a closer look without being discovered."

Rhonda spoke up.

"Matt, you and C.J. go and the two of us will hold down the fort here."

Fran nodded.

"But keep us posted," she said, "You have our number and if you need anything…"

Matt looked at both women.

"Thanks," he said, "We'll be back as soon as we can."

* * *

C.J. and Matt left the motel with Stacy and they rode back to the newspaper office where Stacy and a photographer, Lance, talked amongst themselves and then they all went to the van. It was spacey inside as there wasn't much equipment and C.J. flashed back to when she and Matt had ridden in a similar van only she had been in too much pain from every bump in the road to want to linger on that memory very long. But he had held her gently to prevent the worst of the jostling and had argued with the driver who had wanted her to shut up.

She looked up at him now and still felt that he looked out for her. That reassured her even though everything else between them remained so complicated…and for her, unresolved. Perhaps for him as well.

The four of them headed towards the desert in silence, only guessing at what awaited them there.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27-Another chapter up! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Stacy's photographer, Lance, parked the van in the shadows and Matt looked out as the shadows began to enlarge with the setting of the sun. The air had cooled considerably he noted as he got out of the van, carefully looking around. Shelia and Lance conferred with each other and he nodded, and then took off towards an area filled with official looking vehicles from several different agencies and that had been marked off with crime scene tape.

This didn't look good, he thought. C.J. stepped out to join him and they both watched the two journalists meet up with some police officers guarding the perimeter of the search location.

"Is that the coroner's van," C.J. asked.

Matt didn't know because they were too far away to see any markings. He took her hand and his fingers felt warm around hers.

"Come on; let's find a place where we can get a closer look."

She nodded grimly, feeling conflicted about doing that. Yes, she did want to know the truth of what the police had found out in the desert but she didn't want to know because then it would really hit her of what she and the other two women had escaped from that day at the ranch. She ran her hand shakily over her hair after they reached a spot in the brush some yards away from the activity but closer to where several uniformed men were painstakingly plotting out a square grid of smaller areas to search more meticulously for smaller pieces of evidence like bone fragments or jewelry. Clues that might be overlooked in a broader sweep of a search.

"This is the most important part," Matt said, "They've photographed the potential crime scene earlier and then after that, they break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces for closer scrutiny."

C.J. felt a chill rush through her.

"Some of these women have been gone for so long," she said, "They could be bones scattered all over the desert by animals."

He heard the sadness in her voice and stroked her hair off of her face with his fingers. She looked up at him, struggling to keep her composure. They both knew it would be a long night for them as well as the investigators.

"Do you think the families know," she asked.

Matt considered that.

"Maybe some do, the ones who reported their loved ones missing," he said, "but many of these women didn't have those close family ties and may not have anyone looking for them."

His words haunted C.J. because if she hadn't had Matt…He sensed what she was thinking and he took her hand again and squeezed it, looking directly into her eyes.

"I never would have stopped…looking until I found you."

She swallowed at the intensity in his voice which matched that in his eyes.

"Thank you for that…I wish Rhonda and Fran had people like you," she said, "At least they have you in their corner like I do."

They continued to watch the men and women conduct their careful search out in the desert. And soon enough, one of them waved several others over to examine different locations. This happened quite a few times and mostly, it didn't appear to amount to much as far as Matt and C.J. could see.

That changed after the sun had finally gone down. The flashlights and generator powered lights came out in full force as the search continued and at some point, it became clear that they had found something significant. Matt and C.J. tried to find a closer location to watch where they would escape detection. They crept closer and noticed that most of the attention was focused on what was taking place rather than on the surroundings.

"It looks like they found something," C.J. said, "or someone."

Matt noted that a group of men and women all official looking began to congregate near an area of one of the grids. Someone knelt to the ground and another person joined them. Soon the activity increased.

"I think they found one of the missing women," he guessed, "but they won't know which one until they take the remains back for examination."

The two of them watched the action unfolding for a long time, silence falling between them until suddenly; they noticed increased activities at several locations.

It seemed that the remote deserts surrounding Bannon County had finally decided to give up their dead.

The two of them stayed together in their hiding place where unnoticed they bore witness to the unearthing of what appeared to be remains of more than one missing women. Finally, C.J. had decided she had seen enough and wanted to go back to the van.

"C.J…"

She looked at him and even in the darkness, he could see her tears.

"No…I just can't…"

And she walked away.

* * *

Matt and C.J. reached the van waiting for Stacy and Lance to return. They kept in the shadows but hardly anyone from the search teams came within their vicinity. A cluster of women had shown up with candles and C.J. watched as they conducted silent vigil in memory of the dead. At least the women who had crossed paths with evil men in this corner of the country and paid for it with their lives had some people looking out for them after the fact. If only people had cared about them before…C.J. had to bury that thought right away or she would lose what semblance she had of control left. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched silently.

Finally Stacy and Lance returned to the van and found Matt and C.J. waiting. The faces on the journalists looked as grim as the expressions worn by themselves.

"What did they find," Matt asked.

Stacy sighed.

"They think they found the remains of three bodies," she said, "But it's been so long and there wasn't much left of them with the scavengers…They'll send them to the DOJ lab to do more extensive testing."

"To find out who they are," C.J. finished, "or who they were."

Stacy nodded.

"They know they're human because they found some leg bones but they can only guess at the gender and age," she said, "They just know they've been out there for a long time, maybe several years."

"Sheriff Butz had been in power for that long," Matt said, "This ring he had going with Piser must have been going on a while so…"

"There could be dozens of women dead and missing," C.J said, her eyes widening, "and no way to know for sure where to find them all."

Matt turned to look at C.J. who suddenly looked as tired as he felt. It was just after midnight and time to be heading back far away from this recently discovered graveyard that still kept many secrets

"Let's get going," Stacy said.

Matt and C.J. were more than happy to do that.

After saying goodnight to Stacy who had to go back and proof her article, Matt and C.J. headed back to their rooms. There, they found Fran and Rhonda sitting near the entrance to Matt's room waiting for them.

"You finally came back," Rhonda noted, "So what's the news? We were watching the television for a while but it's been bits and pieces of mostly nothing that we didn't know."

Matt sighed.

"They think they found more bodies of some women."

Rhonda looked resigned.

"I guess it's better this way for the families to know," she said, "than to not know the truth about what happened to them."

Fran nodded quietly but her eyes flashed angrily.

"Damn those men," she said, "I wish I could just kill them all."

Rhonda folded her arms.

"So do I," she said, "especially if the law doesn't take care of them."

"At least we don't have to worry about Piser," Fran continued, "because someone gave him exactly what he deserved."

C.J. watched them silently feeling their anger and frustration from inside herself along with sadness for what had happened to these unfortunate women, imagining what their last few moments alive must have been like. Did they feel a man's hands around their neck like she had briefly with Piser or where they shot to death and left to rot beneath a few layers of sand?

Matt looked at all of them.

"We're going to hold who did this responsible," he said, "whether the authorities care or not. We just have to keep at it like we've been doing."

Fran sighed.

"We still haven't done anything…"

C.J. picked up Matt's thread though her heart wasn't really in it. She just wanted to go into her motel room and cry…actually what she really wanted, wasn't hers to take.

"We've got enough information to move forward in the morning," she said, "and someone's just died over it which tells us we're on the right track."

Matt nodded but the other two women didn't look convinced.

"Listen why don't we all hit the sack tonight and meet again at the diner in the morning," Matt said, "by then, we can put together the next stage of our plan."

The two women looked at each other and then nodded. They then said goodnight and headed back to their room. Rhonda looked at C.J. expectedly.

"I'll be heading off to bed in a minute," C.J. said, "I have to talk to Matt for a minute."

Actually talking was the last thing on her mind at this minute. What she had seen and heard during the past few hours that she had spent with Matt watching the horror unfold in the desert had ripped her open all over again. Her nerves felt both frayed and on edge, ultra sensitive and her skin tingled just from the breeze brushing it.

Matt looked at her face and saw so many feelings struggle for control of it at once. Pain, rage, frustration and bottomless fear not that they would never learn the extent of what had been happening in Bannon County but that soon enough they would have their answers. In the form of more unnamed and unclaimed bodies lying beneath the surface just outside of town waiting to be found.

"I need a drink," she said, finally.

"No you don't," Matt said, "What you need is some sleep."

He opened the door to his room and she walked inside and headed straight to the mini bar. That attracted his attention because C.J. at least the woman he had known most of his life had never been a big drinker. She reached into the frig for a bottle of scotch and looked around for some glasses. She spotted a couple plastic ones sitting stacked besides the mini-bar. The scotch fizzed as it went into the glass and after she filled it, she downed it in a swallow, reveling in the way it scorched her throat going down, leaving her pleasantly warmed and a little buzzed. She had started in on her second glass before Matt took the bottle away.

"That's enough for now…"

She just looked at him, glass in hand.

"I need it tonight, okay?"

He nodded but gently removed the glass from her hand.

"C.J. you're tired," he said, "You'll feel better with a good night's rest."

She glared at him angrily.

"I don't think I can ever sleep again after what we saw," she said, "I don't want to close my eyes and see it playing in front of me and I don't want to dream…"

Raw pain poured into her voice and that tore into his heart. And it made him feel helpless, because he knew how to comfort the women he knew so well. But the one standing in front of him, he felt lost. She was just as beautiful; with wavy hair curling down to her shoulders framing a tanned face of wide spread hazel eyes and a generous pair of lips.

"C.J…."

She reached out and touched his own mouth with her fingers.

"I don't want to listen right now," she said, "I just want…"

He felt her finger trail down his face and she replaced where it had been with her mouth. The kiss began light, tentative even as her lips brushed against his own but it sure didn't stay that way. The tingling that it had set off inside him turned into a slow burn.

"We can't…"

Her lips brushed against his ear as she pulled him closer to her.

"Oh yes we can…I need this so much," she said, "That could have been me out there and I would have died just like them…"

He brushed her hair off of her face, trying to find some semblance of control within him to put a halt to what was happening but it had already began to unravel when he had followed her into the room.

"You didn't die, you got away," he said, feeling her hands stroking his back unleashing pleasurable sensations.

He closed his eyes and stopped talking because it felt just too damn good and because his own hands had placed themselves on her hips pulling her even closer against him, their bodies molding together. She kept stroking his mouth with her lips and nudging him backward closer to the bed, pulling his shirt from his pants and slipping her hands beneath where he felt them imprint his chest with their touch. She loved the way his muscles trembled beneath her hands and he loved the way those hands made him feel all over.

While kissing her, he began unbuttoning her shirt with his clumsy fingers and it seemed to take forever.

"Having trouble," she said, moving to help him.

"I have it under control…"

Oh that was a laugh he thought as he felt her hands burn his skin and he finished with the intricacies of tiny buttons and slipped her shirt off of her shoulders. He sucked in his breath at the sight in front of him.

"I can see that," she said, her breath coming unevenly, "Houston, it opens in the front."

He swallowed noisily.

"I can see that…"

They fell on the bed together but neither seemed to really notice as focused as they were on each other and getting rid of their clothes. Finally, they came together with nothing between them, including any unremembered pasts or unwritten futures.

Just the here and now and what they shared together.


	28. Chapter 28

Another chapter is up! I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

She woke up and it took her about two seconds to remember what had happened. His arms still remained wrapped around her waist and her body curled against his. He still remained asleep but it didn't take much longer for the night before to come back to her in a rush.

One set of memories that didn't remain hidden away.

C.J. felt like she didn't want to do for the longest moment. Part of her wanted to extricate from the man whose hands had caressed her so tenderly just hours earlier and she wished she knew how to explain to him why she needed some space. But the rest of her just wanted to stay exactly where she was right now, in the arms of a man who had swept her off of her feet.

Wait a minute though; hadn't she made the first move? After all, he had been the one who had wanted to keep her at arm's length, not because he didn't want her but because he hadn't known whether she had really wanted him. But when she had looked into his eyes after he had kissed her, she had seen what lay there. That he wanted to be with her as badly as she wanted him.

He stirred beside her, interrupting her thoughts. She thought he would remove his arms from around her but he didn't. Instead he actually tightened his embrace and kissed her bare shoulder.

She sighed, placing her hands over where his had wrapped around her, rubbing them to tell him without words that everything was okay.

"C.J…."

"You don't have to explain anything Houston," she said, "I'm where I want to be."

He remained silent but held her to him and she had never felt safer anywhere else. She wondered how that could be.

Still she had to know something.

"Do you regret what happened?"

He didn't answer and she thought that meant he did.

"Maybe I should get up now…"

"No…don't," he said, "No I don't regret what happened but what about you?"

She sighed, knowing what he meant, whether she would regret spending the night with him when her memory returned.

"I feel fine with it," she said, "In fact, more than fine."

He smiled but she couldn't see it. Because last night had been wonderful and she had been right there with him generous in her giving as she was in accepting that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. In fact, now he wondered if maybe he had wanted her for longer than just last night. They had always been the closest of friends, but they had never crossed that line between them of taking that relationship outside its platonic boundaries. She had wanted that more than he did because she felt that sex would harm their friendship while he never quiet believed that.

She turned around so she would face him while still being held in his arms. He brushed the hair off of her face before kissing her lips. She closed her eyes and imagined what life could be like for them if what they shared could survive the return of her memories and her life with them.

He gazed in her eyes a long time and the tenderness she saw in them nearly drew tears to her own but then he slowly pulled away. She just watched him while he sat up in the bed, reaching for his robe. She looked around for her shirt at least after finding her underwear on the bed.

"What's wrong," she asked.

He turned towards her after putting on his robe.

"I think we need to get going so we can figure out what to do next," he said, getting up.

She bit her lip watching him. What had she done or said to cause him to pull away? She had thought everything had been perfect between them and when she looked at his eyes where she had seen passion last night, she saw conflict. A look that she knew that she had caused without meaning it.

She showered and then while he did the same, she called Rhonda and Fran and told them to meet her in Matt's room. Of course she had left a few of the details out of how she herself got there but she didn't want to answer any of their questions. She would have to do her best to not arouse any suspicions from either women especially Rhonda who appeared pretty sharp.

Matt came out of the bathroom, his pants on but not his shirt and his hair still damp. She had only her previous night's clothes to put on for today.

"Damn," she said, sitting on the bed, "I should have brought my suitcase."

He smiled.

"I'm sure they won't notice."

She snorted.

"Of course they will," she said, "I don't want to answer any questions right now. I mean look at you, you already have regrets."

"What do you mean," he said, looking perplexed.

"You wish it hadn't happened," she said, "that we hadn't…"

"Made love last night," he finished.

Her skin felt warm and tingly at those words. She didn't know how he had read what happened but what she heard in his voice and saw in his face told her it hadn't been meaningless at least.

"Yeah…that…"

He sat down beside her on the bed, tilting her face towards his with his finger.

"I don't regret anything," he said, "I just hope you don't because you…I…we never did this before."

"You told me that already," she said, "but now that we have…I'm not sure what to do next."

He sighed.

"We'll have to figure that out," he said, "but in the meantime, we've got to get you home."

* * *

Rhonda and Fran showed up on cue knocking on the door. Matt let them inside and by then, he and C.J. had placed themselves in separate locations inside the room. Still, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her for long and she wanted so much to feel his hands on her skin, if only to reassure her that nothing had changed at least not in a bad way.

C.J. tensed her body wondering if the other two women would figure out that something important indeed had changed.

"So what's the plan," Rhonda said.

C.J. relaxed.

"I think we should get more information on what they found in the desert."

"It's just pieces of women who didn't survive…"

"I know Rhonda but if they can find forensic evidence, maybe they can build a case," C.J. said.

Rhonda sighed.

"But they still don't know who really killed Piser and neither do we."

"He had to be killed by one of his own," Matt reasoned, "We just have to find out which one stood to gain by killing him and covering it up."

"Even framing us," C.J. added.

"I don't think my contacts in the state police believe that you're responsible," Matt said, "I think they'll help us prove it to the feds."

Fran looked skeptical.

"How can we trust them," she said, "I mean they're still cops and judging by how they've treated us so far."

C.J. couldn't argue with that. She didn't have great memory of any good police officers to help her counter the truly corrupt ones she had met, though she believed Matt when he said that there were good officers who would help them.

"I'd like to give it a shot," she said, looking over at Matt.

Rhonda frowned.

"Well okay," she said, "but we should have another plan in case they turn on us."

"We'd better get going," C.J. said, suddenly eager to leave the motel room.

Matt nodded and she shot him a quick look. His hands wanted to feel her soft skin beneath them but she had already headed to the door. Rhonda looked between them, her brow raised.

"You seem awfully in a hurry to get out of here," she noted, "Almost like you're leaving the scene of a crime."

C.J. shrugged.

"I just want to get this done so that we can all go back to our lives."

Rhonda frowned.

"You don't even remember yours," she said, "So why the rush, don't you want to remember first?"

C.J. opened the door and stepped outside into the sun before looking back at Rhonda.

"That might never happen," she said, "and Houston's told me I have a life that I've been living. I want to return to it even if I don't remember."

Suddenly Rhonda stopped.

"What's going on here between the two of you," she asked.

C.J. and Matt just looked at her.

"Nothing," C.J. said, "Let's just get going. We'll get some breakfast on the way."

Rhonda just looked skeptical. Matt told him he would get the car and pick them up, leaving them alone. As soon as he was out of earshot, she grinned widely.

"I knew it," she said, "You spent the night with him didn't you?"

C.J. folded her arms.

"How would you know that?"

Rhonda looked her up and down.

"That's the outfit you wore yesterday," she said, "You were wearing it when we left you but probably not for much longer than that."

Fran just glared at Rhonda.

"Shut up," she said, "What she and Matt did is their own business…"

"Not if it interferes with their ability to concentrate on what we've still got to do," Rhonda countered.

Fran pondered that and then looked at C.J.

"It won't interfere with our plan will it?"

C.J. sighed and wrapped her arms around her.

"No it won't," she said, "It was just one of those things anyway. I think he already has second thoughts."

Rhonda looked as Matt drove towards them.

"I doubt that," she said, "I think he's wanted it all along and you."

C.J. didn't believe that. After all, he still remembered her as she was and how he knew her for years while for her, her feelings were much more immediate, more visceral. Based on anything but memories, at least the visual kind.

"He just slipped that's all then he came to his senses."

Rhonda doubted it but let it drop as Matt pulled over and they all got inside the vehicle to head out to try to get closer to bringing this ordeal to its end.


	29. Chapter 29

the latest chapter of this FF is up. thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

They had picked up some breakfast to go and C.J. felt better after her egg sandwich and coffee to focus on the day in front of her. She hoped that Matt's police friends could help them learn more about the investigation and whether or not there were other suspects in what had proven to be a growing murder list. One that could get longer before this case was brought to its close, she thought.

Matt turned onto the highway towards the next town.

"Where are we going," C.J. asked.

"I called them earlier," Matt said, "I'm meeting a guy named Shawn Casteel. He's working with the task force."

"What can he tell us?"

"We won't know until we get there," Matt said, "We're going to a diner in Cactus Creek and he'll be there."

C.J. nodded.

"I guess it's safer for him and for us."

"It's away from the action back there," he said, "It's really turning into a media circus."

"I wonder if Stacy's working on her story," Rhonda said, "I didn't check the paper today."

Matt drove a couple miles while checking to make sure they weren't being followed but the highway appeared empty. This remote area of the state probably never saw much traffic even during its busiest times which had made so easy for Butz and Piser to set up their prostitution ring. C.J. looked out the window at the barren desert around them, including a dried out creek and a couple abandoned vehicles. She wondered if the graves where those men had placed the bodies of women extended out this far and until an exhaustive search was completed; they'd never know the answer to that question. She looked over at Matt who remained focused on the road in front of him. She knew that he hoped just as they all did that their meeting with Shawn would put them one important step closer to ending this ordeal.

When all the men responsible were put away in jail, she knew that Matt and she would say goodbye to the two other women and head back to L.A. and whatever waited there. She hoped by then she would have more recollection of memories which would help her rebuild her life. And she wondered what their relationship would be like now that they had slept together.

She sighed as the barren shrubs and cacti streamed by their window and they saw the sign which told them that their destination was just up ahead, two more exits and then they would drive to the restaurant where Shawn waited.

C.J. watched as Matt pulled into the parking lot of the diner and they all got out of the car to head into the restaurant.

Shawn sat waiting in a large booth in the corner, looking at his menu which he lowered when he saw Matt and the women approach. Matt noted that he looked more than a little nervous but that he hid it almost well enough not to notice. Matt and C.J. sat in the booth while him while Rhonda and Fran sat to order some coffee at a nearby table.

Shawn leaned closer as if he were afraid that someone did follow them.

"I see you brought them," he said, "You know they're wanted by the FBI and everyone else."

Matt sipped his water.

"They didn't do it Shawn," he said, "Piser was killed by someone in his own operation."

Shawn shrugged.

"That's what I think too," he said, "but there's no evidence leaning in that direction and she was the last person to be seen with him."

"I didn't kill him," C.J. said, "I hit him hard enough to defend myself from him but he was alive when I left."

"And you know this for sure," Shawn said, "because you checked?"

Matt put his hand up.

"Listen Piser was killed by a bullet wound, not from being knocked out," he said, "If Butz didn't do it, then one of his accomplices did."

Shawn sighed.

"There was another guy murdered in the park," he said, "no witnesses there."

Matt looked at C.J. and Shawn's eyes sharpened.

"Oh don't tell me you know anything about that because I don't want to know," the officer said.

Matt just looked at Shawn.

"How'd he die?"

"Gunshot wound," Shawn said, "Fired from some distance away, hit by a single shot but we're still trying to look for shell casings."

"Got the weapon?"

Shawn just sighed again.

"No but it was some kind of high power gun, like one used by a professional hit man."

Matt and C.J. digested that.

"So could it have been a hired hit?"

Shawn shrugged.

"Maybe," he said, "There's got to be someone higher up pulling the strings on this ring."

That thought had run across Matt's mind many a time.

"Who would that be," he asked.

The five of them headed back to the car and on the way, Rhonda had picked up a daily newspaper and her eyes widened.

"We're on the front page," she said, "Well not us, we're confidential sources."

C.J. and Matt looked over Rhonda's shoulder as they all read it. There was scant information about the bodies that had been discovered last night, just that the state's top forensic person had been sent in to help with the arduous process of trying to identify and determine how and when they died. C.J. had a good idea who had killed them. Butz wouldn't do the dirty work himself but he had deputies who would easily shoot a bullet through a woman's body to shut her up permanently. If it weren't him, maybe Piser had killed some of them, definitely a possibility given what she'd seen of his violent streak.

Someone had done it and left them in the desert to never be found, figuring that no one would even bother to come looking for them.

"She mentioned the politicians and their financial records," C.J. said, "and how the publication's trying to get their public records."

"So they can trace them to the money spent on us," Rhonda guessed.

"That might not be easy," Matt said, "They could have easily laundered the money through a couple sources so it's difficult to trace back to Butz or Piser let alone anyone they're working for."

They got in the car and drove back to the motel. C.J. spent time reading the article in its entirety and thought that Stacy had done a very good job. The photos that Lance had taken at the burial ground turned crime scene last night provided a grisly contrast to what had been written on the pages. Not that they showed much detail, just serving as a visible record of where the investigation into the missing women had gone.

"It mentions that the investigators are still out there combing the desert," C.J. said, "They'll probably find a lot more remains."

Fran sighed.

"Who knows how long some of those women have been lying there," she said, "I hope these men pay for what they did to them…and to us."

C.J. nodded knowing that the damage to the living had been extensive as well as some of the surviving women might never move past the trauma they had experienced. Many of them had no family to help them work through it and few were even missed by loved ones. She wished that she could do something to help them even when she and Matt returned to their lives in L.A.

* * *

They headed back to the motel bypassing the throng of media which hovered around the police command post in town and Rhonda and Fran went to the diner to talk to Louise to see if she had gotten any news on the grapevine. As well connected as she and others were connected to the grapevine. Matt and C.J. headed back to the computer to research the disk further to determine whether they could find anything useful or not.

Matt called his uncle on his mobile phone first to see if he had heard anything and Roy said that the FBI agents had been back but he hadn't told them anything.

"They seem to think you've left town," Roy said, "So I mentioned something about Las Vegas."

"Nice work."

Matt knew that the gambling mecca would keep them busy for a while and off of their trail for even longer.

"There's a lot going on here," Matt explained, "Another murder and the discovery of more bodies."

Roy sighed.

"Well we knew this was probably going to be ugly," he said, "But at least it's finally going to be exposed and come to light."

"They don't know when they're going to ID the women they found except Roxie," Matt continued, "or solve the murder of that politician who we saw killed in the park."

"He must have known too much," Roy said, "Anything you need me to help you with?"

Matt searched for his notepad.

"Yeah actually there is," he said, "I need you to go to Baby and check out some names."

"Will do."

Matt read them off and then hung up the phone. C.J. looked at him with her arms folded.

"He'll call us back when he finds out anything," Matt said, "We'll boot up the computer and see if there's anything else on that disk we missed."

She nodded and they booted up the machine and Matt inserted the disk. C.J. looked over his shoulder as they went through the list of files and clicked them looking for more detailed information. Finally after several hours, Matt clicked Carrie, the name of one of the women who disappeared not long after C.J. had been abducted to replace her.

"There's the list of men who bought her at Piser's parties," she said.

"Who was the last one?"

C.J. studied the list.

"It's Trevor Winslow," she said, "That name's familiar."

Matt agreed.

"We'd better go find out who he is," he said.

C.J. ran her hand through her hair and walked to the window to look outside.

"Need a break?"

She just nodded in response from where she stood and he walked over to her.

"Hungry?"

She shrugged.

"I guess…maybe we should get something to eat," she said.

But she didn't move, she just looked at him. He reached out and stroked her face with his fingers.

"Houston…"

He sighed.

"I know…but that's the rational side of me speaking," he admitted, "What I really want to do is pick up where we left off."

She folded her arms.

"You said we couldn't," she said, "and maybe you're right, maybe we should wait to decide when my memory returns fully."

He nodded thoughtfully, realizing that she was right. What they had shared last night had been very special and probably not as spontaneously as it appeared but they needed to put it aside and move forward certainly while they were in Arizona.

"I know…but it's not going to be easy."

She smiled at him and took his hand in her own.

"Let's go get something to eat and tell the others what our next steps will be."

They left the motel while someone emerged from behind a parked car to follow them.


	30. Chapter 30

Another installment of this FF up. Hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the comments!

* * *

Matt and C.J. didn't see the man tailing them to the diner and when they walked inside, they saw Rhonda and Fran sitting at a booth talking with Louise. They looked up expectedly when they approached.

"So what's going on," Rhonda asked.

"Do you know a Trevor Winslow," Matt asked.

Fran's brow furrowed.

"The name's familiar," she said, "Did you get it off the john list?"

C.J. nodded.

"Houston's heard of him somewhere," she said, "but he's not familiar to me. Of course that doesn't mean anything."

"I think my company did business with this guy some time ago," Matt said, "on an alternate fuel research project."

"Another congressman," she asked.

"Maybe…I try to stay out of politics," he said, "The business world is enough of a jungle as it is if you're not careful."

"I'll take your word for it," Fran said, "I stay away from both."

Rhonda agreed.

"Life's difficult enough without getting in that mess," she said, "How many politicians were wrapped up in this prostitution scandal that we haven't found out about?"

Matt didn't know the answer to that question.

"And which one of them is a murderer," she continued, "Of course they'd hire someone else to do their dirty work."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"Unless they caught their wives or their mistresses cheating and then they might handle it themselves."

C.J. looked at them.

"There could be one or more of them tied into the ring and if they feared exposure," she said, "Then they might start killing its key players off to cover their tracks."

"Like Piser," Rhonda said, "and the guy in the park."

Fran shook her head.

"I don't have sympathy for any of these men," she said, "They ruined the lives of many women and they killed a bunch of them and we may never know how many."

Unless they matched up bodies with missing women reports, most of any remains found would never be unidentified, just assigned a number and assigned to a box forever. The trail had already gone so cold on many of these disappearances and deaths that identifying the remains found would only be part of the struggle. Determining how they were killed and by who would be another huge roadblock and then the next step of building a case to prove it…that was so far away from where they were now. Matt knew that.

"These women might never really receive justice," C.J. said, "until they have names."

So C.J. knew it too and judging by the expression on her face, felt it keenly. After all if she hadn't been able to escape with Fran and Rhonda, in all likelihood, she would have wound up buried in that desert somewhere. The thought sobered him quickly when it crossed his mind but he brushed it away because he could never have accepted that outcome. He had to believe that she had been a survivor but then what of those other women? Most of them who were killed had been targeted for escape attempts or for refusing to go along with the program. The ones who refused to go along even to survive.

C.J. didn't need to say anything, knowing how easily she could have wound up buried out there. But she and the others had gotten away and that's what she had to focus on, the here and now not what could have been. Not to mention the uncertain future that lie ahead of her when she and Matt were able to put this mess behind them. Their present had already insured that there were minefields for the two of them to navigate through thanks to the night they had spent together. Not that she regretted it but she didn't know if he did. He seemed to worry that when she got her memory back, she would for some reason be embarrassed or horrified by what she had done and she just couldn't see that happening.

Louise walked over with some more coffee.

"I heard that Roxie's might have been shot," she said, "They don't know for sure but the fracture in the skull…"

"Indicates it was penetrated by a bullet," Matt finished, "Is there a way to get the report?"

Louise shrugged.

"Even her mother's being left in the dark but the cook's cousin works for the catering service that they're using while they're in town."

"Shooting the women would be easier," Matt said, "and cleaner."

"He said they didn't find any real evidence of her killer," Louise said, "It's been so long since she disappeared and there wasn't much left."

Matt knew that would be the case of the vast majority of victims buried in the shallow graves. The killers had gained that advantage over them and it would be nearly impossible to overcome. They would have to find other ways to bring everyone responsible to justice.

* * *

Later, they left the diner after having eaten a heavy meal. C.J. felt like heading back to the motel room to take a nap. She knew she would toss and turn with the imagery running through her mind, waiting for her guard to fall enough through sleep to show themselves. Visions of the remains fleshing out into living women who had only known terror the last few hours and minutes of their nightmares. Herself fighting off Piser and knocking him out cold. Fleeing his ranch house with the few women lucky enough to escape only to become unlucky enough to get hunted down and murdered by unknown hit men.

Their deaths after the first few steps they had taken of freedom had to be answered for as well. She told the others walking back that she planned on taking a rest. Rhonda's brows raised and C.J. read the question in her eyes. Would she be resting in her motel room alone? She just ignored Rhonda and her eye caught something else. A man dressed in faded jeans and a long sleeved shirt, with the sleeves rolled up displaying muscular arms. He watched them from a distance, doing nothing but standing there frozen in his stance.

"Houston, look over there…"

And then he saw him too.

"I wonder if that's the man with the sedan."

He started walking towards him.

"Houston, be careful," C.J. said, knowing it would do little good.

She sensed she had said those same words before many a time. But Matt approached the man who looked like his hand had inched towards his pocket.

"Houston, he's got a…"

Matt tackled the man before he could even pull out any weapon. The gun flew out of his hand and into a bush. Seeing that, the man tried to get away but Matt had a tight hold on his waist and had flung him on the ground. The man tried to push him off but Matt blocked every move deftly and tried to pin the man's arms where they couldn't do him any damage. The man however grabbed a rock and tried to aim for Matt's head. He dodged that potentially serious blow but got hit in the shoulder. This threw him off a couple inches, enough for the man to maneuver himself out of his grasp and onto his feet. Matt was back on his own feet one heartbeat later. But he realized that the man must have been trained and no doubt physically fit. The man cast him one look and sprinted away with Matt running after him and sure enough, he headed towards the familiar black sedan. Matt squinted his eyes and thought he saw a flash of movement inside the car and he tried to narrow the gap between him and the man. But the man reached the car, got inside and the car headed straight towards Matt with barely a second for him to react.

Fortunately the first hit by the car had been glancing but it knocked Matt down on the pavement. He thought the car would then back up and finish the job but instead, it revved up its engine and took off, kicking off some exhaust in his direction.

C.J. ran towards him and helped him on his feet.

"Are you okay," she said, "I mean really."

Matt winced and lifted up his shirt, noting that he had been scraped in his fall but no major damage.

"I'm…just…fine…"

She rolled her eyes.

"I can see that," she said, "Come on, we'd better get you fixed up."

He smiled at her.

"Your place or mine?"

They left Rhonda and Fran who were going to take a nap while the stifling air permeated the air. C.J. and Matt headed towards his room to clean up his injuries.

"It's not necessary…."

She sighed.

"Houston, I might be the amnesiac here but even I remember that these types of wounds can get infected easily."

After all, when he had first found her at his cabin, she had been feeling ill from a badly infected wound she received during her escape. He nodded and stripped off his shirt and indeed, he had a nasty scrape on his side but the rest of his chest appeared perfectly fine…in fact more than that…

She took a deep breath and tried to focus on cleaning up the wound with the kit that they had brought with them from his car. She poured some alcohol on a cotton swab and began cleaning it out.

"What is that," he asked, "It stings like hell."

"Houston, stop protesting," she said, "It's just a little antiseptic."

"It feels like battery acid," he said, "Could you go a little easier there?"

She just rolled her eyes feeling suddenly as if this were all so familiar. But she tried to be even gentler when cleaning his abrasion.

"There….does that feel better?"

Actually it did, but he decided to keep to himself how much better it felt to have her fingers touching him. After all, they had decided not to repeat what had happened between them last night. Trouble is, now his memory began to slip as to why it had been so important to do that.

"Houston…relax I'm not going to seduce you," she said, "I remember what you told me."

He sighed.

"Then you better tell me because I can't seem to right now."

She looked at him funny.

"What are you getting at," she said, "Did you change your mind?"

He paused, wondering how to answer that question. His body had never really understood the decision that his mind had made but he knew that it wouldn't be right to go down that road again.

"Because if you have, that's okay," she said, moving closer, "I have no regrets about what happened."

He sighed again.

"Neither do I, but when you get your memory back, what will you be thinking then?"

She sat down on the bed beside him.

"That something special happened between us that I'll never forget," she said, "or regret."

"That's what you say now…"

She shook her head.

"I mean it Houston," she said, "just because I don't remember everything about my life doesn't mean that my feelings have the same holes that my memories do."

He didn't seem as certain.

"Who knows when my memory returns," she said, "We might even decide that maybe it's time for our relationship to change."

Now she was treading on dangerous territory, he thought. But then so had he because he had been imagining the same future, one where they weren't just best friends but lovers too and one where the world didn't come crashing down on them.

But until then, reality threatened to intrude, one where they had to bring some murderers who might have connections in high places down.

"Maybe…"

As she handed him his shirt back, suddenly they heard someone knocking on the door.


	31. Chapter 31

Another chapter of this FF is up. Thanks for reading and for the feedback!

* * *

Matt looked at C.J.

"Wonder who that might be?"

She just stayed where she was and told him to be careful. After all, the number of people who knew where they were staying had been very small and they wanted to keep it that way. If the wrong person found them…

Matt walked to the door and looked through the peephole but didn't see anyone. He cautiously opened the motel door preparing for anything and everything that could be standing there.

But he didn't expect what he found. An envelope resting on the ground obviously left by some unknown visitor who left without a trace. He picked it up and it appeared harmless enough and then walked back inside. He hadn't seen anyone out there in the dimly lit parking lot and didn't think that this person had hung around long enough to be discovered.

"What is it," C.J. asked.

"Another message I believe."

"Open it and see what's inside," she said, "At least it doesn't appear booby trapped."

He did just that and pulled out a slip of paper and a photograph. A man lying on the ground in a pool of blood that looked grainy as if it had been a single snapshot in a longer montage of photos.

"It's Piser," C.J. said, "but he didn't have all that blood around him when I left."

Matt took a closer look.

"It's after he got shot," he said, "but who took the picture?'

She narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe it wasn't just one picture," she said, "It's kind of grainy don't you think?"

Matt agreed.

"Maybe it's part of a video," he said, "This image looks like it could have come from a surveillance camera."

Then that meant that the rest of the video might still exist including the portion that actually showed Piser's murder and more importantly that person's identity. If only they could find it.

"Why would someone leave it," C.J. asked, "and who?"

Matt couldn't even begin to guess as complicated as this case had become since he had first been driving down that highway in Arizona looking for C.J. but just when he thought they had been making inroads, another twist would be revealed. But maybe this latest development could help them.

"I don't know," he said, "but we need to find out. We get the rest of the video. We'll see who killed Piser."

C.J. frowned.

"There's a note attached."

"What does it say?"

She unfolded it.

"It says that the person who has the rest of the video will sell it to us for a price."

Matt looked at her.

"How much?"

"For $250,000 a copy."

They looked at each other incredulously.

"It could be a scam," she said.

"Or else a trap."

C.J. nodded.

"So what do we do?"

Matt sighed, thinking as he paced the motel room.

"Did the sender include any contact information?"

C.J. shook her head.

"So how are we supposed to get in touch with this person to tell them we accept their offer or else where to take it," she asked.

"I don't know," Matt said, "but the best thing to do right now is just keeping doing what we're doing and say if they get in touch with us to up the ante."

She nodded again.

"IF they're after money," she said, "they might lower the offer at least."

"I'm not sure we'll even get anything for that money."

"So what should we do now," she asked, "Sit and wait, or meet back with Stacy and ask her about the Winslow connection?"

Matt heard the frustration in her voice because the video existed out there that could provide the evidence that could clear her name of murder charges in connection with Piser's death by showing the real killer instead. The person who held onto it if they really had it at all clearly knew this and had offered it up for sale.

She sank on the bed feeling suddenly very tired.

"I just want this to be over Houston," she said quietly, "Why would someone do this, dangle the fact that they have evidence that could help end this right in front of us?"

Matt couldn't answer that question about whether the motive behind it had been greed for money or for more perverse reasons like taunting them by letting them know they were so close to the truth just not close enough. But they had to focus on the plans they had made already and perhaps that would tempt their anonymous letter writer to contact them again…with more information or at least a better offer.

"Are you okay," he asked her.

She looked at him and nodded, but her eyes said otherwise. He sat with her on the bed and pulled her in his arms. She let him embrace her and closed her eyes resting them against his chest, feeling the soothing affect that their closeness always brought her. It didn't take restoring her memories for her to remember that, it was as much of her as breathing. He stroked her hair as he held her, the only sound being the clock on the wall.

* * *

Morning greeted them and C.J. woke up finding herself still in the arms of the man who had held her through the night. She hadn't remembered falling asleep, just closing her eyes and a pleasant quietness just filling her mind where she had felt sadness earlier. Had she dreamed at all, she didn't remember but her mind hadn't been filled with visions of the women lying out in the desert still waiting to be found.

"Morning…"

She looked and saw that Matt had opened his eyes and started stroking her arm that had been draped over him.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, moving in his arms, "I didn't mean to drift off."

"I might have fallen asleep first," he said, "I think we were both just exhausted."

"I know I was," she said, "It's been nonstop since we came back here and everything we keep finding out just makes it worse."

She heard him sigh, knowing he had felt the frustration as keenly as she did. The arrival of the tantalizing snapshot of the dead body had just added to that. To think that someone out there might be trying to extort Matt for money knowing he would do anything to clear her name, it just didn't leave her with much faith in the world. But she did have faith in Matt who hadn't let up since he had discovered she had disappeared. He had walked into his cabin which she and the other two women had broken into and even though she had little memory of him or their friendship, he had stopped at nothing to help her.

And then there had been the fact that they had overstepped the careful boundaries of their friendship and spent a night together. Last night, she had felt as if it had all caught up with her but again, he had done his best to try to help her feel better, to feel safe.

"Thank you for last night."

He raised a brow.

"But we didn't even do anything," he said.

She kissed him gently on the lips, but didn't linger carefully adhering to those boundaries again. Even though she had no real memory of them.

Someone knocked on the door and that gave them both a start but at least they both had their clothes on.

"Hey it's just Rhonda," she said, "I know you're both in there so you might as well open the door and let us in."

C.J. just rolled her eyes and Matt smiled but he got out of bed and opened the door. Rhonda came in followed by Fran and looked around the room.

"Nice…so are you two officially an item or what?"

C.J. sighed.

"No," she said, "I needed a friend last night and Houston acted as a friend."

Fran shrugged.

"Don't look at me," she said, "Rhonda's the one with the lurid imagination."

"We did get a mysterious envelope," C.J. said, "It had a picture of Piser dead on the floor of his ranch house covered in blood."

Rhonda's eyes widened.

"Someone was there besides the killer?"

"It could have been from a surveillance camera," C.J. said, "That's kind of what it looks like."

"The there must be a video and if so, maybe it shows who killed Piser."

"That's what we're hoping," Matt said, "But the person who sent us that wanted to sell it for a quarter of a million dollars."

Fran whistled.

"Wow, someone trying to make a fast buck?"

C.J. shrugged.

"We don't even know if this person really has it," she said, "and he or she didn't leave any contact information."

"How did they have access to any surveillance video in Piser's house," Fran asked, "and how would it have survived the fire?"

Matt scratched his head.

"That's what we need to find out," he said, "but unless we can figure out who sent it and find them, it's going to remains a mystery for at least a while longer."

Rhonda scowled.

"That sucks," she said, "It doesn't seem that this nightmare will ever end."

That's how C.J. had felt last night but this morning she had woken up feeling more hopeful.

"We can still trace the connection involving Trevor Winslow," she said, "and the other politicians who were involved in financing this prostitution ring."

"That sounds like a job for Stacy," Rhonda reasoned, "she's the ace investigative reporter."

Matt nodded.

"I think I'll give her a call."

He went to use the telephone and the women just watched him.

"Damn he's a fine looking man," Rhonda said, "and he's just like an action hero."

Fran smirked.

"He's just someone trying to help us," she said, "it's not like he has super powers."

Rhonda's eyes flashed mischievously.

"Maybe you should ask C.J. about that," she said, "Including his bed side manner."

C.J. narrowed her eyes at them.

"He's my best friend and we're not going to change that," she said, "At least not for now…"

Rhonda's eyes brightened.

"Ah, so there is romance in the air," she said, "I knew it."

Fran shook her head.

"Why does it matter so much to you," she said, "If Matt and her are hitting the horizontal, it's none of our business."

"True," Rhonda said, "but it's just nice that in this chaotic mess, someone's getting it on."

C.J. just looked at the both of them.

"It's not like that," she said, "It's just so…complicated."

Rhonda tilted her head.

"How so," she said, "He clearly cares about you an awful lot," she said, "and you are crazy about him."

C.J. shook her head.

"I don't know if that's the word I'd use," she said, "It's just so confusing. I have few memories of us together and I know what he's told me about our friendship but I just have these feelings…"

"And so you acted on them," Rhonda said, "That's only natural under the circumstances. You've been working in close quarters on something so intense that it ignited a type of sexual chemistry that doesn't have to be remembered."

C.J. listened to her but felt lost in Rhonda's analysis of her relationship with Matt. She just knew that there had been times during the past week when she had struggled to keep her hands off of him, to keep from where she hadn't been before…until the night before last. She really had to figure out how to come to terms with what she had done…what they had done and what it would mean when she got her memory back.

But the thought…it threatened to overwhelm her so she kept pushing it away. One day, it would push back. But in the meantime…

Matt returned to where the women waited with some interesting news from his phone call with Stacy.

"I just talked to her on the phone," he said, "She received the same envelope that we did."

They all looked at each other, wondering what kind of game this anonymous person was playing.


	32. Chapter 32

Latest installment is up! Hope you like it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Stacy met them in the motel room, looking as perplexed as they all felt.

"It was in my box this morning in my cubicle," she said, "No one could say how it got there, except Max the mail guy said it hadn't gone through him."

"Anyone else see anything?"

"Nada…and someone should have seen someone," Stacy said.

"It could be someone's protecting the delivery man," Fran said.

"Or it's a source for someone else at the newspaper."

Matt scratched his head thinking about it, still not sure whether the person who provided the snapshot was friend or foe. Judging by the price tag associated with the source video, obviously not too much of a friend. He had the cash but he still wasn't convinced that it would get him anywhere if this turned out to be an extortion attempt.

"Not Semour Piser's better side," Stacy commented, looking at the photo, "Someone really wanted him dead."

"I just wanted him to stop," C.J. said, "but maybe he had becomes a liability to the operation to someone else involved in it."

"He was the member of the state board of corrections if I recall," Stacy said, "Maybe it's another board member."

Matt shook his head.

"I'm thinking higher up," he said, "and that someone else did the actual hit."

"Like the guy in the park," Stacy said, "You could be right but if so, who paid the guy?"

C.J. had no idea where to even look for that individual but the more they investigated the prostitution ring, the more layers they encountered, the more complicated relationships between those involved in it. And she believed it would get more complicated and thus more difficult to get at the truth. She wondered if the cases that she and Matt had tackled had all been so difficult and imagined that at least a few of them had been. How did they get through the labyrinth of often contradictory information and find the answers? How did they solve other murderous crimes in the past?

She knew that they did.

Stacy put the picture down.

"At least they didn't want us to pay $250,000 for the video," she said, "So are you going to put up the catch because I know you're loaded."

Matt shook his head.

"Paying them the money is no guarantee of seeing the video," he said, "I'll wait and see if they change the offer."

Stacy considered that.

"They could if they're desperate for any amount of money or if they've got some altruism underneath their financial needs."

"I just wonder why the authorities don't have access to that same video," C.J. said, "I mean it's evidence that would clear us…unless that's not what they want to do at all."

Matt knew she could be right that they could be using the women as convenient scapegoats to cover up an even larger pattern of crimes that could have penetrated different levels of government because some of the clientele on the disk had ties to Congress. Including ones that Matt's corporation had done business with in the past.

Stacy nodded.

"It'd be easier to blame three women who broke out of jail than to go after their own bosses."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"Well I'm not going to prison for something I didn't do," she said, "I'll leave if it comes to that."

Matt didn't doubt that she would, the resolution so clear in her voice. He had to make sure it just didn't come to that. No matter what it took.

Rhonda nodded.

"I'm with her," she said, "I have no desire to spend another minute behind bars but I'd rather get them first."

Stacy just looked at them.

"Well you'd better come up with a plan then," she said, "because my source with the police told me that the reward money for the three of you is going up."

C.J. just shook her head.

"After what they found in the desert, they're still focusing on us," she said, "When they should be going after who ordered those women killed."

"They've been hitting me up for my sources on my articles," Stacy said, "But no reporter worth his salt would ever give up names and I'm better than them."

C.J. felt reassured and she could see that Rhonda and Fran felt better too but this ordeal had taken its toll already and it would just continue.

Matt pursed his lips.

"I'm going to have another talk with my sources," he said, "and maybe it's time to put up some reward money of my own."

The women all looked at him knowing he could have leverage to do just that and maybe it would swing the informational tide in their favor.

Stacy folded her arms.

"Okay maybe that would work," she said, "I'll go back and do some more research on those politicians you named. See if I can find any smoking guns."

Matt didn't think it would be so easy after all, if these individuals were involved in the ring, they had both the money and the pull to cover it up, to keep anyone from picking up any trace of impropriety among them.

"Check to see if any of them had women in their lives who have suddenly disappeared somewhere down here," he added.

Stacy nodded and left the room. Rhonda and Fran just looked at Matt.

"This just gets more complicated," Rhonda said, "and a whole more unjust. We just can't let these evil men get away with what they've done."

Matt sighed.

"I don't intend to let anyone get away with anything," he said, "but we've got to try a new strategy here."

C.J. walked to the window and looked outside. The parking lot was empty even of the dark sedan which had been parked there earlier.

"I'm going out for some air," she told them.

Matt looked at her.

"C.J…"

"I won't go far…"

He nodded seeing from her expression that she needed some time to herself. All this must be overwhelming for her at times even without factoring in the amnesia. Her memories had been coming back piecemeal, her recollections more detailed but she still seemed a long way from remembering herself and the life she had back in L.A. A life where their relationship seemed a whole less complicated.

"Matt, you really going to put up a reward," Fran asked.

"It's something to think about," he said, "There's people out there who know a lot more than they're saying and we need to shake them up a bit."

"You think you've got enough?"

Rhonda rolled her eyes.

"Money's not anything that he's short on," she said.

* * *

C.J. walked down the walkway adjacent to the parking lot, to the picnic table after she had purchased a soda from an antiquated machine that surprisingly still worked. She flipped the tab and took a long swallow, the cool liquid sinking down her parched throat. Taking her drink, she sat down at the table and just tried not to think about the conversation she had just left.

To have been so close to uncovering evidence which would have proved that neither she nor the other women had murdered Piser and then…she just couldn't believe that someone would show them a piece of it and then demand money for the rest. But if that video had been surveillance, why hadn't the police gotten a hold of it unless...the person who slipped them the photo had been connected with a law enforcement agency.

Considering how corrupt the county sheriff's department had turned out to be, that wouldn't surprise her if there were another rogue in the bunch who might have slipped away with it. But what if they they were right and the authorities were willing to ignore the true killer's identity because of any connection to high ranking political figures? If that were true, then their nightmare might never end. She looked back towards her motel room and thought it would be so easy to just slip inside and then get some things together and leave…to do what? To hide, to slide even deeper into this mysterious life she had found herself living since the car accident? She couldn't go back to jail and spend years trying futilely to defend herself on trumped up murder charges and then if she lost at trial…she would be spending the rest of her life in prison. The experiences she had gone through in Bannon County would pale next to those there.

And Matt…she would lose him as well. She knew she had lost him as a lover because their relationship had never been that way but she knew enough without remembering that her friendship with him had served as a lifeline for both of them. Fragments of what she did remember told her so and she just felt it deep in her gut, the bond between them that had been built through the experiences both good and harrowing that they had shared together. His lovemaking had reflected that even more than it had been from physical attraction or sexual chemistry between them. In his arms, she had felt more than intoxicated, she had felt safe too.

Safer than she had at anytime she remembered.

But she couldn't put him in a spiraling path down into a dangerous situation that could ruin his life along with hers. She had to get out of here. If she went and gathered her things, she could hitch a ride out of the town by sundown.

She looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds on the horizon. Biting her lip, as the cool wind baked in heat caressed the back of her neck, she wondered if she should wait until tomorrow. But she sensed that the police were catching up to them, the bad guys were still a step or two ahead and all that had happened would come crashing down on the man she cared about most in the world.

Tossing her soda bottle in the trash, she walked resolutely back to her motel room. But a man blocked her path. He smiled as he folded his arms.

"Hi Bunny…"

* * *

Matt looked out the window, while Rhonda and Fran studied the computer screen behind him. He didn't see C.J. out there but knew she wouldn't have walked very far. The expression across her face had been that she needed to go outside just to breathe and center herself and he could hardly blame her for that having been in the same circumstances himself not long ago. She had been instrumental in helping him reclaim his own life even if he couldn't remember all what he had lost during his month in captivity.

Suddenly Rhonda looked up at him.

"I think I found something…."


	33. Chapter 33

Another installment of this older FF is up...thanks for reading and for the feedback!

* * *

C.J. looked up at the man in front of her, trying to place him. He clearly knew her by another name, a hated one that reminded her of her captivity in the prostitution ring.

"Where are you going Bunny," the man asked.

She tried to walk past him to her motel room but he moved deftly to block her path.

"They're looking for you," he said, "Everyone's looking for you."

"Who are you?"

Because she really had no idea and she wanted him to state his business and get out of her path.

"There's a huge reward they put up for your capture," he said, "Dead or alive."

She shook her head.

"I don't follow the news here and my name's not Bunny," she said, "It's never been that."

The man chuckled, moving closer to her.

"That's how they advertised you baby doll," he said, "The hottest thing to come to this sorry corner of the sorriest county in the state and I can see that Piser for once didn't exaggerate."

Despite herself, she felt curious.

"You knew him?"

The man snorted.

"I should say I do," he said, "I had dibs on your body first before he met up with you in the sheriff's office."

C.J. remembered that day well. She had been wrestling Butz off of her while he had been trying to pin her down on his office sofa when a deputy rushed in telling him about the fight in the yard. She had taken advantage of her reprieve from his disgusting hands to obey some instinct of hers to search for clues around her…why she hadn't known but it had just seemed her the most important thing to do at the time.

She had hit pay dirt inside his desk drawer when in walked Piser and she had tucked the evidence in her clothes as if she had done it before, looking at him innocently.

But this guy she had no such memory of meeting. Was he one of the deputies who guarded them in the detention center? Was he another sleazy politician on the take?

Then she remembered something.

"I saw you in one of the photos I found," she said, "with another woman."

He sighed.

"They took those photos without the johns knowing about it," he said, "and then they used them for favors."

"You mean blackmail."

"Call it what you want," he said, "but they tried that with me and I just called them on their bluff. My constituents don't really care if I cavort with a bunch of whores if they get their streets cleaned up and plenty of free parking."

"But someone else might have felt threatened…"

He thought one step ahead of her.

"And they might have started killing people involved in the ring," he said, "That could have happened but you and those other sluts you've been hanging with will go down for it."

"You really need to clean up your language," she said, "and get out of my way."

He sneered.

"No chance," he said, "Not before I get what I paid for, because you know he makes us put deposits on the women beforehand."

She tried to push past him, but he blocked her path with her body.

"I'd heard you're a bit feisty," he said, "Don't worry I can take care of that sweet thing."

He tried to grab hold of her and paw her right in the parking lot against a parked car and she felt her shirt rip, but within her came some pretty fighting skills and she felt herself putting them to good use.

"You bitch," he yelped, as one of her knees connected in a very sensitive part of his anatomy, causing him to fall on the ground. Unfortunately, he had hold of her and pulled her down right on top of him. He rolled over putting himself on top and then C.J. felt something cold against her neck.

"You fight and I'll stick you," he said.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a switchblade. She took a deep breath, exhaled it carefully and then forced a smile on her face.

"Why don't we take this inside," she said, "I didn't realize you were such a big strong man."

He relaxed a bit then and dragged her on her feet still holding the knife on her towards a motel room.

"Which one is yours," he demanded.

She gestured with her head to it and he started to head in that direction, when she stuck her foot and hooked it around his lower leg and then pulled and twisted bringing him down on the ground, still holding onto the knife. He reached and grabbed her, pulling her down again but this time she maneuvered her body out of his reach and he tried to stab at her with the knife, hitting the pavement. Several of the next attempts came dangerously close to striking her and she knew it had turned to a life or death battle as they struggled in the parking lot.

* * *

Matt looked at the computer screen to where Rhonda pointed and saw another list of names with dollar amounts next to them, some of them quite impressive.

"Are they all politicians," Rhonda asked.

Matt didn't know but he suspected that most or all of them were elected officials from some form of government or another. He recognized a few more names but most of them were unfamiliar, probably local. But he wondered about the financial connections between them listed there and what they meant.

"I think we're missing something here," he said, "Something very important and maybe the motive behind the prostitution ring."

"You mean it wasn't created just so the politicians could get their rocks off at our expense?"

He looked at Rhonda and Fran and he shook his head.

"No, I think there's something even larger going on here," he said, "Something staring us right in the face."

Fran sighed.

"We'd better find out fast," she said, "I don't know why, but I feel them closing in and it's not on the bad guys, it's on us."

"Stacy's going to find the connection," Rhonda said, "She seems like she's very good at what she does."

"But we're running out of time," Fran protested, "We're damn lucky they've not found us here yet and locked us up."

"We'd be dead if they did," Rhonda said, "Just like the other women."

Matt figured that she was right, if the women ever got arrested, then they'd be sitting ducks in the lockup where anyone with a badge could get to them. He didn't know how many dirty deputies remained running around but he knew the authorities hadn't captured all of them.

And some of them could even be working for the state police.

After all, many of the politicians were state level with some members of Congress mixed in. Piser and Butz had quite a racket going in their small corner of the world and obviously had reaped huge financial benefits from it not to mention avoided a lot of outside scrutiny until the women had escaped.

So clearly bribes and payoffs had been made by the leaders of the ring and people had gone along with keeping the illegal operation going even when maybe dozens of women had lost their lives in the process. It all sounded so tidy but clearly a piece or two remained missing and out of their reach.

"C.J.'s still out there."

Rhonda looked up at him.

"She needed some fresh air," she said, "This has got to be toughest on her with the memory loss and all."

Matt knew that and that she had held herself together admirably through the whole ordeal. But the realization that the evidence that could be used to clear them instead was being used to extort money out of him had deeply affected her.

"It's been a while," he said, "Maybe something happened."

"Maybe she just needed the time to think," Fran said, "We've all been there."

Matt nodded but he went to look out the window anyway.

* * *

She struggled to better the man who now seemed intent on snuffing out her life, just like other women had been killed when they had resisted the program they were forced to follow. He tried to use the knife and she blocked every attempt he made to stab her. She reached around her for something to use as a weapon but found nothing.

"You're going to pay for this," the man gasped, "You should have just played the good little whore."

Oh she saw red when she heard that and the smug tone of entitlement in his voice. That he had the right to use her body anyway he saw fit and if she didn't give him access, to destroy her. She found the strength to grab the knife, avoiding the sharp edge and trying to wrestle it out of his grasp.

"You…"

Suddenly she flipped him over while the blade had been sticking up and his body sunk into it, the expression on his face suddenly changing from rage to surprise and then pain. The blood flowed like syrup out of his body onto the asphalt and his life went with it, slowly but before long, his body lay still, his eyes frozen open forever. She lifted herself out of his grasp and shakily got onto her feet and looked at the man with his own switchblade sticking in his neck. Piercing a vital blood vessel that had caused him to bleed out in less than a minute. She searched his body for anything and she pulled out his wallet.

His name on his license didn't register with her but she impulsively grabbed a piece of folded paper and tucked it in her pocket, not sure why she did that.

She heard activity nearby and didn't wait until people saw her standing over a dead body so like had been the case with the unconscious Piser, she took off running out of the parking lot, not even looking behind her.

* * *

Matt had returned to the computer and pored over the list of the names. A couple of them were probably state politicians but he scratched his head at the others. Suddenly he heard voices outside and rushed to the window. A throng of people had gathered in the corner of the lot and were looking down at something on the ground.

"Something's happened outside."

Rhonda and Fran joined him.

"We'd better find out," he said, walking outside.

He slowly made his way closer to where people milled around what looked like a body, lying in a pool of blood. He didn't recognize the guy but a rush of fear filled him in an instant.

Where the hell was C.J.?


	34. Chapter 34

Another chapter up, hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt moved closer and saw that a knife jutted out from the neck and blood pooled around his body. The guy had been murdered right in the parking lot of the motel but who had been the killer? And where had the killer gone?

It seemed like there had been quite a bit of killing going on in this remote corner of Arizona.

His eye caught something small on the ground adjacent to the blood stain and he bent over to take a closer look.

"Oh don't touch him," a man said, "the police are on their way."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said, "Did anyone see anything?"

"A woman saw someone running," the man said, "but couldn't make out much about it."

Matt picked up the object on the ground and saw that it appeared to be a button. It didn't appear to belong to the dead man. Maybe the killer left a clue behind?

He knew the police would be sent out here to investigate the murder and that he and the women had to lie low while that took place. Including while officers canvassed the motel's guests to see if anyone had anything useful to report that might help identify the murderer.

It might be best if they left for a little while during that part of the investigation. But where could he find C.J.? Where had she been when the man had been stabbed to death?

He looked back down at the button again.

* * *

C.J. took a couple of deep breaths after having run away from the man lying in the parking lot of the motel. He had looked dead to her and she hadn't stuck around to see what happened when the police arrived. How could she afford to considering she was already wanted in connection with a murder?

She wound up going inside the bar that she had wandered into weeks ago, the one where she had first met Rhonda. The woman who had offered to help her until they had been abducted by Butz and his deputies and dragged off to the detention center.

After the bartender had dropped the dime on them.

The sleazy guy didn't work there now because he still hadn't posted bail after being arrested for his involvement in the prostitution ring. Instead a young woman waited tables but the place looked dead. C.J. went to sit down at a table and ordered a drink when the woman came on over. She wore her hair up in a bun and had freckles on her face. Her name tag read Tabitha.

"You look tired," the woman noted, "What can I get for you?"

"Just some water for now."

Tabitha nodded and went to the kitchen. C.J. looked around the dump noting that the jukebox was still playing the same tired songs it did when she had walked in for the first time. She didn't know if the police were looking for her but she figured this would be the last place they'd searched because it had been the site of her kidnapping.

Tabitha returned with a pitcher of ice cold water, a glass and a bowl of pretzels.

"On the house," she said, about the pretzels.

C.J. didn't feel all that hungry but she nibbled some anyway because she didn't know how long she'd be staying here before taking off if anyone came looking. She had stopped at a spigot behind a store to rinse any blood off of her but there hadn't been much.

"New in town?"

She looked up at the waitress and nodded.

"Just on my way to someplace else."

Tabitha chuckled.

"Aren't we all?"

C.J. tried not to sip the water too quickly but her throat felt parched.

"Crazy place it seems," she said, "Never saw so many official looking cars in my life."

Tabitha nodded ruefully.

"My boss got arrested by them," she said, "Not that I give a crap because he was a real jerk. His wife's taken over the place but she's too busy visiting him in jail to do any work."

"Arrested for what?"

Tabitha looked around at the fairly empty room and sat down in a nearby chair.

"He was aiding and abetting in the kidnapping of women by the sheriff's department," she said, "They were making these women be prostitutes for the big boys."

C.J. nodded.

"I think I read something about that."

"Yeah well my boss was in it up to his neck," she said, "I saw it happen once and after they dragged this poor woman out to the paddy wagon, my boss swore she solicited him."

Yeah that sounded familiar, C.J. thought.

Tabitha snorted.

"He's nothing to look at, even his wife thinks so," she said, "Why would any woman come on to him?"

Why indeed, C.J. agreed remembering that when she had first walked in there totally confused and disoriented, it had been the other way around. If it hadn't been for Rhonda…well it might have been just a little bit worse.

"Anyway, the place fills up with cops during the day," she said, "but at night, I guess they all got better places to go."

"I had trouble finding a place to stay until I could leave town tomorrow," C.J. said, "Do you know of any place off the beaten path?"

Tabitha's brow furrowed and then her face brightened.

"There's a garage apartment behind where I'm staying now," she said, "You can stay there for tonight or a couple of days even. It's not renting out until the end of the month."

That sounded good to C.J. as she doubted that anyone would come looking for her there. The cops would focus elsewhere and as for Matt and the others? She tried not to think about them because now that she had killed someone, she didn't want to drag them any deeper.

"What happened to your shirt," Tabitha asked.

C.J. looked down to where it had been ripped by the man she knew she killed that missed a couple of buttons.

* * *

Matt watched from a distance as the police including from the state agency cordoned off the latest murder victim and the immediate crime scene from the rest of the parking lot. Detectives combed the area looking for evidence and one holding a camera took photos. The coroner's van had yet to arrive and the media had begun showing up including Stacy. She saw him and walked in his direction.

"What happened here," she asked.

"Someone died."

She looked at him impatiently.

"I can see that," she said, "What I mean is who killed him."

"How would I know?"

She folded her arms.

"Because you seem to know an awful a lot about what's been happening in our little corner of paradise here."

He held up his hands.

"Look, I didn't see it happen," he said, "I was out here looking for C.J. when I saw the body attract a crowd."

"You didn't hear anything?"

"I don't think the guy was shot," he said, "since he had a switchblade sticking out of his neck."

Stacy grimaced.

"Sounds messy," she said, "So what happened to C.J., where'd she go?"

Matt scratched the back of his neck.

"She needed some air so she went out for a walk," he said, "but she hasn't returned yet."

"It's not a big town," Stacy said, "She couldn't have gone far."

A man came over with a camera around his neck.

"Stacy, they've released a statement," he said.

"Already Jack," she said, "Any ID on the stiff?"

Jack looked at his notes.

"A Paul Carter…he's another member of the state correction board that Piser chaired," he said.

"So he's involved in the prostitution ring," Stacy said, "It figures, all the people who've died in the past week have been connected with it."

Jack shook his head.

"This town's murder rate has like quadrupled already," he said, "Well not including the dead women in the desert of course."

Stacy sighed at him.

"They do count Jack," she said, "Remember that, okay?"

He shrugged.

"Whatever."

They watched him wander off.

"Not one of our more sensitive employees," she noted, "but he's talented with a camera."

"It's going to get dark soon," Matt said, "I've got to go find her."

"Good luck."

He went to do just that, hoping that she hadn't gotten herself into trouble. Fran and Rhonda had left and were lying low elsewhere for a while so he didn't have to worry about them when the police would start canvassing.

And he doubted that C.J. was still hanging around here either. He started heading down the street but looked up and saw a familiar face of another of his friends in the State Police, Barry.

"What's up," he asked.

Barry looked around him.

"I don't think this is the best place for you to show your face."

Matt nodded.

"Understood, but someone killed that guy because of his involvement in the ring," he said.

"We figured out that part," Barry said, "but the killer was female."

Now that jolted Matt, but he didn't let it show.

"Someone witnessed it?"

"Someone saw a woman struggling with him in the parking lot," he said, "knock him down and then take off after rummaging through his clothes."

"Sounds like a mugging gone bad."

Barry shook his head.

"It's not clear who attacked who first," he said, "But they already think it's one of the women tied to Piser's killing."

"How would they know this early?"

"Matt, they have it in for those women," Barry said, "I think it's because half of these people are on the take with this prostitution ring."

A thought hit Matt suddenly.

"Or maybe it's because the men running the ring had something on them," he said, "Say incriminating photos of them with the women they partied with."

Barry nodded slowly.

"That would make sense," he said, "but if that's true, then this case might never get broken unless it goes to the feds."

"Some Congressmen were involved," Matt noted.

Barry shook his head.

"This case is getting so complicated and the bodies are really starting to pile up," he said, "but my advice to you would be to get those women out of here before they come looking for them to hang for this latest murder."

Matt knew he had to find C.J. quickly.

"I'll…do that," he said, "but we're going to need some help to expose a blackmail scheme if that's what is going on."

Barry looked doubtful.

"I'll do my best on this end but this case has been compromised since day one," he said, "Why else would the killings of maybe dozens of women since who knows when not be enough to push for indictments."

Matt knew the answer to that but didn't want to get into it here. He just wanted to find her before it was too late.

* * *

C.J. ate the meal that Tabitha had the cook make for her on the house. She had found the young waitress to be very kind and generous in contrast to her boss who now sat cooling his heels in a jail somewhere. But suddenly Tabitha showed up, her eyes troubled.

"You're going to have to get out of here," she said, "There's some police coming inside."

C.J. got up and started heading towards the back door.

"Wait," Tabitha said, "I'll give you the address of the place to stay."

She wrote it down quickly on a slip of paper and handed it to C.J.

"Thanks," C.J. said, looking at her before leaving out the back exit, just seconds before a group of police officers walked inside the bar.


	35. Chapter 35

Another one up, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

* * *

C.J. looked down the alley at the entrances into the street for police cars or anyone else who might be looking for her including her friends. She looked at the address of the apartment that Tabitha had given to her. The sun began to fade and the air cooled slightly but this time of year in Bannon County, obviously was not one where people stayed outside during most of the day.

She finally found it, and slipped through the back gate facing the alley which was unlocked and she looked around the empty yard with a laundry line with several items of clothes hanging off of it and some scattered toys and patio furniture arranged haphazardly. She walked to the rickety staircase attached to the side of what looked like the garage and climbed the steps to where she saw the door.

It opened easily in her hand and she crept inside after flipping a light switch. The place had power obviously, she thought as the light spotlighted the small studio apartment. She saw a sofa bed and some tables and what looked like doors which led to the bathroom and a kitchenette. Not having much and needing less, she sat on the couch after looking in the dresser drawer and finding some clothes that Tabitha said had been stored there.

They would be more suitable than her ripped shirt.

She sat on the worn sofa not knowing what to do next because she had just fled the scene, not thinking much about it. Just to get away before anyone saw her standing another body.

Matt and the others might be looking for her but she had to find some answers of her own without them. She was the one that the authorities wanted to nail for Piser's murder and the longer they stayed with her, the more likely they would get sucked into the situation. It had been a long day so she showered and changed into the clothes she found in the dresser.

Then she sat on the sofa and looked at the piece of paper she had pulled out of the dead man's clothes thoughtfully.

* * *

Matt searched all over for C.J. or any sign of her while darkness settled around him. He hadn't met up with the other women who had gone into hiding until the police had finished canvassing the motel for witnesses to the murder. He had looked in different establishments and down the alleys but found nothing.

Had she taken off and left town, no that didn't seem likely because if she did, she would be running forever and she knew that. This meant she must be around town somewhere hiding and figuring out what to do next. Just as they all had been doing for a while now to try to bring this nightmare to an end.

He had walked inside a bar where a waitress had been handing plates of food to several deputies that Matt had recognized. He didn't know how many of them were actually honest cops and which had worked to cover up the prostitution ring which had merely been a prop for another lucrative criminal enterprise. Most likely that was why the police agencies and local prosecutors didn't seem interested in going after the real criminals just the people they framed to cover their own tracks.

He sat down and ordered a burger and a soda.

"The state police aren't going to find a damn thing," one deputy said, "They're as much on the take as everyone else."

"I heard that the FBI's been brought in," the other said, "The sheriff's going to be indicted but not on murder charges."

"They should go after the people that were in charge," the first one said, "Instead of picking on the ones at the bottom."

"Or sending us out on that wild hunt for those women," the other said, "They didn't kill anyone let alone Piser."

Matt turned around to face them, putting a smile on his face and the right amount of naivety in his eyes.

"Excuse me I couldn't help overhearing," he said, "you see I'm new here and I am trying to break into news as a freelancer and I would really appreciate it if you could help me out."

They gazed at him with suspicion, which he supposed was fair enough.

"Why do you want to know," one asked.

He adjusted himself in his booth so that he faced them.

"Well because I heard there's this big story in this little town barely on the map and I want to find it," he said, "so I'll get a regular gig."

The two deputies looked at each other.

"Well there have been a lot of bodies piling up in this area," one said.

Matt nodded.

"I heard about the police finding some remains in the desert."

"A whole lot of them," one said, "more than the press has been told."

"How many?"

One deputy sighed.

"At least a dozen."

"Oh my God…really?"

"There's probably more," the other deputy said, "They only covered about 2,000 acres so far."

"How'd they die?"

"Some look like gunshot wounds," one said, "Gaping holes in the skulls that have been found but some might have been strangulation or stabbing for all we know. Some might have happened quite a few years ago."

Matt guessed that it had been quite a while and that the reports of missing women would go back as far as a decade possibly. A lot of young women had turned up missing in this corner of Arizona as it turned out. Now at least they knew why.

"Did they ID any of the bodies," he asked.

"Only one…the daughter of a local waitress…"

Meaning Roxie who had disappeared after running into the wrong people and then at some point been murdered.

"Anyone else die?

The two deputies looked at each other, and then one nodded.

"A couple politicians," he said, "But they don't matter except to Phoenix and that's miles from here."

"Yeah they just found another one in the parking lot," the other said, "Stabbed to death, right in the throat. He worked with the guy they found burning inside his ranch house after he was shot to death."

The other deputy shook his head.

"We sure live in violent times," he said.

"That we do," Matt agreed, "Any break on that case."

They shook their heads.

"The perp is believed to be a young woman and the feds are hunting for her," one said, "She was last seen with two other jail inmates fleeing the burning house."

"Maybe it was self defense."

A deputy shrugged.

"I bet it was," he said, "but they don't care, they want to catch those women and make examples out of them."

Matt already knew that and he was beginning to figure out why no one stopped them from going after the women rather than the real criminals. A few people had too much information on nearly everyone else, evidence hidden away somewhere that could blow up in their faces if they didn't cooperate with the program.

So they let the men who had committed dozens of murders off the hook and put C.J. and the other two women in their crosshairs instead.

* * *

C.J. walked into the bar and looked around, seeing men milling around the watering hole while an older man served drinks. She walked slowly towards them, hoping they wouldn't recognize her off of some wanted poster but they just stared at her as if she were an attractive young woman in their midst. She had grown to that leering stare.

"How can we help you sugar," one man with a beer asked.

She ignored the fact that he looked at her chest not her face.

"I'm looking for Flint," she said, "I heard he hangs around this place."

The men looked at each other, eyebrows raised and one stepped forward.

"No we haven't seen a guy with that name," he said, "Sorry you're in the wrong place."

"But I know he comes here in the evenings and I'd like to speak to him," she said, "A guy named Paul sent me."

"There aint anyone by that name either," the man said, "but if you'd like we'll buy you a drink and we can get better acquainted."

"No thanks."

She started to leave and then an older woman carrying a tray of appetizers walked up to her.

"Don't listen to these guys," she said, "He's in the other room, follow me."

C.J. shot the guys one last look and walked to the back room with the waitress. An older man sat at the corner table, looking at her.

"I was wondering when you'd show up."


	36. Chapter 36

Another one up! Hope you enjoy and thanks!

* * *

C.J. just looked at him as he sat her, one of the deputies that had shown up at the bar that night to arrest her and Rhonda for allegedly soliciting as they called it. Just an excuse to round up two innocent women and cart them off to the detention center to add to the stable of prostitutes to be exploited by this arm of the justice system.

This deputy in particular, Chad, had forced her and Rhonda into the police van as soon as they realized that the street in front of the bar had been deserted. Both women were unable to scream and if they had, who would have heard it and come to help them?

No one, because as soon as they saw the uniformed deputies and the marked van, they would have assumed that they were getting arrested because they had raised a fuss or done something illegal at the bar.

Even though more than a few people probably suspected that the bar itself had been involved in something criminal. There had after all, been whispers since the arrest of the bartender in connection with the prostitution ring.

Chad had been burly that night and incredibly strong, holding onto the struggling Rhonda as if she were nothing but a featherweight. He looked as burly now out of uniform dressed in faded jeans and a tee-shirt advertising what looked like a strip joint on it.

Nice.

He gestured for her to sit down across from him in the empty room and offered to buy her a drink.

"No thanks," she said, brusquely, wanting to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.

He smiled, clearly realizing her discomfort.

"I assume you know about Paul's murder," he said, "It's all over the news. Some crazy woman stuck a knife into him and then split."

She just watched him.

"I assume that's not what you wanted to tell me."

"No, you're right Bunny, that's not what I wanted to tell you," he said, "It's about the day of the fire."

The one that she still didn't know who set it except that it might have been purposed to cover up Piser's murder not to mention a few other crimes that had been committed by several key players in politics.

After all, the now dead guy must have kept some of the incriminating information at his house, to protect himself in case anyone he worked with suddenly turned against him.

"What about it," she said, "A lot happened that day, could you be more specific?"

"Someone knocked off Piser pretty effectively," Chad said, "Not you though."

She frowned at him.

"You must know that I'm the number one suspect…"

"But it was someone from inside the operation who pulled the trigger."

C.J. had figured that much but the authorities really didn't appear to be interested in exploring that angle of the crime, just in hunting her down.

"You know after that party," he said, "I was going to kill you."

She looked up at him suddenly.

"It's true," he said, "They could never afford to keep a high profile person like you alive."

"You mean they knew who I was?"

He nodded.

"Some guy with an accent and looking like he came from money got on the airwaves and showed a picture of you, said you were missing and offered a reward."

That must have been Matt.

"Said you were some fancy lawyer that worked in L.A. and that he was a private investigator," Chad said, "Butz got wind of that and nearly flipped. That's why they drugged you."

"Why didn't they kill me then?"

Chad smirked.

"Because Piser saw you at the jail and wanted to get his hand on you so badly…and what he wants, he gets."

"He tried to kill me too," she said, "I didn't want his hands on me."

He chuckled.

"Oh come on…a woman like you…I imagine that you've seen all kinds of action in a city like L.A."

She ignored the innuendo.

"Whose idea was it to take the photos?"

"What photos?"

"Of the politicians, you know the well heeled ones with the women sitting on their laps by the swimming pool," she said.

He hedged.

"I'm talking about blackmail here…someone was threatening to expose the politicians who attended these parties at the ranch."

"I…I don't know anything about that," he said, "My job was to transport the women, keep them in line to make the boys happy…"

"And if we didn't, you killed us and buried us out in the desert."

"Only because we were ordered to do so…to prevent the others from trying to escape."

She took a deep breath.

"So I was going to make Piser happy before being killed by you and cast aside like roadkill?"

He nodded.

"Something like that," he said, "Like I said, with your connections, they couldn't afford to let you live."

She leaned closer to him.

"How many of us did you kill?"

* * *

The deputies had left and Matt sat alone finishing his food while the waitress came to clear the table. He knew she was Tabitha from reading her name tag but she had seemed wary of him. Maybe the women in town were suspicious of any men, not surprising considering the events that were unfolding in their sleepy berg.

"You finished here?"

He looked up at her and nodded so she took his plate.

"If I could have another iced tea that would be nice."

Her mouth quirked up into a smile.

"Why aren't you hitting the harder stuff like everyone else," she asked.

"This place seems pretty dry."

She made a face.

"The alcohol license is being restricted on account of my boss's arrest," she said, "Because the state agency believes that a crime was committed here."

"So all the usual drinking crowd goes elsewhere?"

"One of the two other bars," she said, "I'm kind of glad that they're gone actually. It got quite rowdy here at times."

"Your boss kidnapped at least two women," he said, "With the help of the sheriff."

"Never liked him," she said, "He seemed sleazy when he hung around. Always threatening to shut the place down if my boss didn't do what he wanted."

"Even engaging in kidnapping for the purpose of coercing women into prostitution?"

She shrugged.

"It wouldn't surprise me," she said, "I never saw too much of it myself but I heard stories."

"Did you ever try to tell someone?"

"No, in this town, a lot of people are telling stories about all kinds of crazy things," she said, "but in the past few days, they don't seem so crazy anymore."

"My best friend who works with me back in L.A. was kidnapped some weeks ago with another woman," he said, "She had a head injury from an accident and didn't even know her own name."

"Sounds awful couldn't have happened in a better place."

Matt sighed.

"It has been difficult for her," he said, "now that she's wanted for murdering a man who tried to hurt her."

"Did she…murder him?"

He shook his head.

"No…she just knocked him out to get away," he said, "then someone else came along and killed him."

The woman looked thoughtful suddenly.

"I hope they get to the bottom of this," she said, "Whatever has been happening in our town. I went to school with a girl who disappeared several years ago…after a party at the lake."

"Did they ever find her?"

"No…never...I know she's dead out there somewhere," she said, "she'd never just run away and worry everyone."

Matt stood up to pay his tab.

"What's the address of those bars?"

She told him before she handed him his change.

* * *

C.J. just stared at the deputy after he told her he didn't count the lives that he had taken. That they didn't matter because they had been told what they had to do and they had rebelled against that. It was their own fault.

"So who killed Piser," she asked.

He stood up suddenly.

"I've told you all that I'm going to," he said, "unless you do something to make it worth my while."

She stared at him in revulsion.

"Forget it."

"Oh come on," he said, "You were willing to show Piser a good time."

"I wasn't thinking…I was drugged."

And she had knocked him out cold to get away after he had put his hands around her throat.

"He disgusted me just like I do."

The man laughed.

"Coming from someone arrested for soliciting at a bar and recruited to be a common whore…"

She just looked at him wondering if he believed what he said. Maybe he did because he had to justify all the murders he had already committed.

But it didn't matter because he must have information that she needed. She thought quickly.

"Okay…I'll come to your place as soon as I freshen up," she said, "but if you're going to set me up, I'll know and you heard about what happened in the parking lot."

He swallowed noisily.

"I thought that was you."

She moved over to where he sat and put her arms around his neck forcing back the bile in her throat as he took her onto his lap.

"Why that's much much better," he said, "I can make it worth your while if you make it mine."

She forced a smile on her face.

"Okay but I just need a little time to…you know," she said, sliding off of his lap.

He jotted his address on a paper and she slipped it into her pocket.

She left him then and went into the bathroom to spice up her appearance a little not that she thought he would notice. But it bought her some time to think about what to do next. She had thought up this idea on the spot just to get inside his place to look for some evidence. Now she just needed to find a way to pull that off and keep his paws off of her at the same time.

Because after all, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that inside his place could be a copy of the mysterious surveillance video of Piser's murder. She most definitely wanted to find that, she thought, as she ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it out a bit. In her purse, she had rudimentary makeup so she used that to provide some color.

She would go into his place and find some excuse to get herself time alone to search it for any evidence including the tape if he had it. Now that sounded like a plan.

* * *

Matt walked down the alley to the first bar on the paper that Tabitha had handed to him. He hoped that by the time he arrived there any law enforcement officers coming off a work shift would have enough drinks in them to be helpful and perhaps a bit loose with the information.

He looked up ahead of him suddenly and saw a very attractive woman.


	37. Chapter 37

Another chapter up!

* * *

Matt approached the woman and she turned to face him.

"Who are you," she asked, taking a drag from her cigarette.

She looked older than her probable age, with dark blonde hair and sun tanned skin. Matt thought she looked at him cynically enough and wasn't worth lying to about his identity.

"I'm an investigator out of L.A.," he said, "I ran into some women from this town who said a lot of bad things were happening here."

Her eyes darkened and the cigarette shook in her hand.

"Maybe they're right…"

"What do you know about it?"

She tilted her head, took out her cigarette and dropped it on the ground, then stamping it out with her boot.

"I was there," she said, "I was at the big ranch house at that party when it caught fire."

Matt's eyes widened.

"Some women escaped."

She nodded, with a sigh.

"But not me," she said, "I tried but one of the deputies caught me and took me back to the detention center but they had to let me go a couple days later."

"What's your name?"

She smiled slightly but her eyes remained sharp.

"Babs…that's what I go by and the only name I'll answer to anyone."

Matt smiled.

"Okay…Babs, what can you tell me about that day?"

She folded her arms.

"What can you do for me?"

"I'm here to shut down what they were doing at that ranch," he said, "You see a close friend of mine was caught up on it after they abducted her."

"That happened to quite a few women," she said, "Though some just got into trouble on their own. It happens."

"What about you?"

She shrugged.

"A little of both."

* * *

C.J. had left the bar to head off to Chad's place, not looking forward to what lay ahead one bit. Not that she planned to do anything with him except find a way to divert his attention so that she could search his place for anything that might help her. Finding a copy of that surveillance tape would be nice and would bring an end to her nightmare. She came out into the alley and then she saw him.

Matt standing there talking with Babs, a woman who had hung out at the jail with Fran. Not one of her favorite people having had been targeted by Fran and her while they had all been locked up. What was going on here, she asked herself as she pulled herself in the shadows until they had passed.

She had fought a couple of times in jail with Babs who had been most often seen with Fran smoking cigarettes out in the yard. Whenever they could buy off the guards.

The fights hadn't lasted very long between them because C.J. had great fighting skills that she had learned somewhere and could disable one or both of them quickly enough.

Once she had gotten the better of them, everyone else had pretty much left her alone. But she had no desire to find herself back in jail, say on murder charges awaiting an even longer stint in prison on trumped up charges. If she could find the surveillance video which some anonymous person had taunted her with, then she could put all of this behind her and then focus on figuring out who she was and what she would do with her life.

She knew she wanted to go back to L.A. with Matt who had said he would help her find the missing pieces still stuck in her mind somewhere. And if not, that he would help her shape a new life, as good or better than the one she had lost.

The earnestness of his voice and body language not to mention some deeper instinct made her believe him.

"So are you going to help me bring them down," Matt asked Babs.

She shrugged.

"Like I said, are you going to make it worth my while?"

"What about Fran," he said, "Don't you care about her?"

She stood silently, her eyes fixed on him.

"Maybe I do…maybe I don't," she said, "What business is it of yours anyway?"

"Because I know where she's been and she's been helping me bring these creeps down and put them out of business forever."

That caught her attention.

"Oh I don't know about that," she said, "sure they might be getting some heat now but when the media and cops go away, they'll be back in business."

Matt had already considered that but had decided that no way would it happen while he had anything to say about it.

"If you could help me…"

She chuckled derisively.

"You'd end it," she said, "How could you do that? I haven't even been able to go home, haven't seen my kid in over a year because I've been trapped her."

His face softened.

"What if we could change that?"

She looked hopeful, but very wary as well. He guessed that most of the men in her life at the very least had failed her. But he needed her help.

"I just want to go home again."

C.J. heard the wistfulness in her voice and she understood what she meant. Home sounded so good right now, if far away. She sighed as she watched them but decided it was time to move on so she slid quietly out of the cover she had taken and walked in the other direction, away from Matt who had his back turned and his attention focused on Babs.

He nodded.

"Okay that can happen if you help us," he said, "What do you know, who knew what was going on?"

She hesitated.

"There's a deputy who hung out here," she said, "One of the worst ones. His name's Chad and I checked to see if he were inside drinking but he'd left for home."

Matt stroked his jaw.

"Does he have an address," he said, "I could go talk with him."

Babs pursed her lips and then finally gave it to him.

"He's got a mean streak and he's pretty strong," she said, "I know, he grabbed me and threw me in the paddy truck while I was just out walking."

He looked at her before leaving.

"Thanks."

She nodded wearily and he went to drop in on Chad.

* * *

C.J. approached Chad's place and stopped suddenly, having second thoughts. Actually more than that because she had been asking herself during the entire trip over there whether what she was doing was wise.

She decided, maybe not but it wasn't like her list of choices was very extensive. Without evidence to clear her name of murder, she would always be running. And she just wanted to stop, so by the time she neared Chad's residence, she had resolved her inner dialogue filled with second guessing. He lived in a small place on a dusty street highlighted now by street lights which lined it. Halos of light with plenty of darkness between.

She saw his residence and started up the footpath, mentally preparing a list of steps inside her head of how to proceed. She kept her plan flexible because she didn't know what would happen and she had to be prepared for anything until she left there hopefully with something that set her free.

The house appeared quiet with a single light that shone through a half-drawn window shade. She paused suddenly hearing activity inside and then a single gunshot broke the air. It sounded like it came closer to an alley which faced the backyards of the homes on the street. Suddenly, she saw a dark figure sprinting away from the back to the front and she looked up startled as it approached her.

The figure stopped briefly to stare at her and she braced herself for the gunshot she expected to come to silence her as a witness. But the figure turned tail and headed down the street.

Matt saw a figure running down the street and looked to see where this person ran from. Something must have happened for his frantic sprinting to break the quiet of the residential street. He looked all around and then another figure came running in his direction.

This one, more familiar to him even as she looked up at him as she approached then shifted enough to avoid hitting him.

"C.J…"

She didn't even stop so he ran after her down the street.

C.J. had been shocked to see Matt standing in front of her in her path. She almost stopped but another part of her dug at her to keep running. She hadn't even investigated to see if Chad had been the target of the gunshot, she just knew it. And she didn't want to stick around while people who heard the noise came out and discovered a dead deputy.

Matt neared her and she couldn't run any faster. She mentally prepared herself for when he grabbed her arm and jerked her back, nearly causing her to fall on the ground with him.

"C.J. it's me…"

She looked at him in resignation.

"I know," she said, "Just let me go."

He held onto her tightly.

"I can't do that," he said, "I told you I'd help you no matter what and I meant it."

She sighed in his embrace.

"I can't drag you into this any further."

"Well I can't let you try to handle this all alone," he countered, "and I'm more stubborn than you are so you might as well stop worrying about what's best for me and let me in."

She shook her head.

"It's too dangerous," she said, "and I…I killed someone…he …called me Bunny…"

"The man in the parking lot."

"He wouldn't let me go," she said, "I'm never going to get out of this."

He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes.

"Yes you will," he said, "We'll get you out of this and back home."

She really wanted to believe him but didn't know if she could dare to hope that soon this nightmare would be behind her.

"Why were you here," he asked her.

She took a deep breath calming herself.

"I met up with a deputy named Chad in the bar and he invited me to his place," she said, "and I accepted."

"Why?"

"Because I thought I could get his guard down and then search the place for evidence," she said, "I thought he might even have a copy of that video."

"Did you get inside?"

"No, I heard a gunshot before I even got to the door."

"See anyone?"

"Just someone running, but I couldn't make out the face."

"I ran into Babs and she told me to drop by Chad's to see what I could find out."

"Babs from the jail," she said, "Okay so she made it out…This Chad guy, he killed some of the women Houston…before they were buried in the desert."

"I figured the deputies pulled the triggers."

She nodded then looked in the direction of the house.

"I needed to get inside it to search for evidence," she said.

"That's not going to happen tonight. The place will be filled with cops in a few minutes."

"What we need to clear us could be in there."

He heard the frustration in her voice and it matched his own feelings but there had to be a way to find whatever Chad had been stashing.

"Why don't we try tomorrow morning," he said, "We can at least see if they've cleared the scene and try then."

She thought about it and nodded.

"Where are Rhonda and Fran?"

"They hid out why the police canvassed the motel," he said, "but they should be back there."

"Is it safe for them?"

"I think so," he said, "That might be the last place police would expect to find them now."

"You could be right," she said, "Well I found a place to stay from this nice waitress so I'll be heading back there."

He nodded.

"Want some company?"

She bit her lip, nodding.

"You can walk me back there anyway," she said, "I'd rather go there than back to the motel."

He understood her hesitation at going back close to where she had killed the man in the parking lot. So he put his arm around her and they headed back to the apartment.


	38. Chapter 38

Another chapter up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt and C.J. approached the garage apartment where she would be spending the night and stopped in front of the rickety staircase.

"Thanks for walking me back," she said.

"You're not safely inside yet," he said, "The police are probably busy responding to the scene of the latest homicide but we can't be too sure some strays won't be wandering around here."

She nodded and they walked up the steps that creaked beneath them to the door which she unlocked and forced open.

"Home sweet home," she said, "at least for now."

He looked around the studio apartment and saw that most of the furniture appeared old, almost as if the place hadn't been rented since the 1970s. She flipped on a lamp and went into the kitchenette.

"Would you like anything to drink," she said, "before you head back to the motel? They're some scotch in here."

"That doesn't sound too bad right now."

She took the Scotch and poured it into glasses she had rinsed in the sink. After handing one to him, she gulped hers down in a couple of swallows, not even noticing how it burned her throat. Soon she felt pleasantly warm and her body began to relax.

"Not bad," Matt said, drinking from his glass.

"God, what a night," she said, collapsing on the couch, "what a day…"

She sounded so damned tired, he thought and wrestling with the thought of having killed a man to get away from him. Since she knocked Christian Dean off of a ridge near his mountain cabin, she hadn't killed anyone.

Not like him who had killed people both while in the military and then later on as an investigator. Every life he had ever taken remained with him, hanging around like a ghost. He kept them at bay when one of them took its turn at haunting him but experience and time had taught him that skill. One that C.J. hadn't developed. In a way, he hoped she never would reach that point because he felt like he had lost a piece of himself to get there. He could have taken that life in the parking lot and had slept comfortably at night.

But she sat on the couch placing her head in her hands, feeling suddenly as if she couldn't see past that moment when she had killed the man in the parking lot. And then she had taken off running, then been so desperate to find evidence she had agreed to meet up with a murdering deputy inside his house and do god knows what to get what she needed. Of course then, he had gotten shot probably fatally so before she had even made it to his front door.

"C.J. are you sure you want to be alone tonight," he asked, sitting beside her.

She just looked at him feeling suddenly lost and shook her head slowly.

"What I want from you now, you can't give me," she said, "but I don't want to be alone right now either."

He knew what she meant and he closed his eyes because despite what she might be thinking, he wanted that too. But he couldn't take them down a road that she might regret later when the part of her that remained locked up inside her returned. It would have been too easy to surrender to the feelings that rushed through him now but he didn't.

Instead he stood up from the couch and looked around the apartment.

"Where you sleeping?"

She looked at him bemusedly.

"I'm sitting on it," she said, "It's one of those fold out beds."

He nodded thinking that would work. She needed to get some sleep so that when she woke up in the morning, she would feel less of the despair that had hit her so suddenly.

"There are linens in the closet I think," she said, moving to that side of the apartment.

He pulled out the couch and sure enough, it turned into a full-sized bed. She returned with a stack of linins and pillows to make it up which she did while he looked out the window onto the quiet street. No one lurked out there tonight.

"Who do you supposed killed him?"

Matt looked over at C.J. who sat on the bed, taking off her shoes.

"I don't know," he said, "It seems like someone's taking out key members of the prostitution operation before they can talk."

"I hadn't even gotten there when I heard the shot."

He sat down beside her.

"Why'd you go in there by yourself?"

She just looked at her hands.

"I thought maybe I'd get lucky and find something…like that surveillance video."

"He's responsible for killing some of the women who tried to get away," he said, "That could have easily been you."

She sighed.

"It was supposed to have been me," she said, "He told me he was ordered to kill me after the party."

"Why?"

"Because they found out who I was before I did," she said, "They saw the public service announcement that you gave on television."

"And they were afraid that someone might find them looking for you."

"I'd be dead now if it hadn't been for Piser picking me out for his party," she said, "In a strange way, I guess I owe him for that."

Matt didn't think she owed the creep anything but the thought that he could have missed his chance at finding her…if she didn't have such a strong survival instinct. One that had superseded memory loss as it turned out.

"You saved yourself C.J.," he said, "but you could have been walking into a trap meeting Chad."

She shrugged.

"He just wanted sex from one of the Bannon County women," she said, "I wanted whatever I needed to clear my name."

"Would you…"

She sighed.

"That wasn't in the plan," she said, "I was going to try to divert his attention long enough for me to search his place."

"What if you weren't able to do that C.J."

"I would have found something to knock him out cold with," she said, "I wasn't going to sleep with him."

He scratched his head.

"Not a very well thought out plan," He said, "He could have gotten the upper hand on his own turf."

C.J. knew it was concern for her that drove that comment but it rankled at her. After all, she could take care of herself. She had to take matters into her own hand if she were ever going to be able to go home.

"I could have handled myself," she said, "Am I really someone that you have so little faith in?"

"That's not it," he said, "But you are trying to deal with this all by yourself when you don't have to do that."

She shook her head.

"Houston, I can't keep doing this to you," she said, "How long are you going to be able to be away from L.A. and your work to help me?"

He tilted her face up to look into his eyes.

"As long as it takes."

She heard his conviction in his voice and knew that he meant every word. Until she was freed of this nightmare, he wasn't going anywhere. But she didn't want to see him get hurt or killed in the process because she…but she put that thought out of her mind. The situation was complicated enough without bringing her feelings into it.

"I don't even know you even though I'm supposed to," she said, "but I believe you."

He smiled at her.

"We're going to get through this but you have to trust me enough not to shut me out."

She sighed.

"I do…but it's all so strange because I'm supposed to be best friends with you and I don't remember," she said, "so I tried to go on my feelings, my instincts and see what happened."

He smiled again, knowing that she meant the night they had spent together, caught up in the current of pent up feelings that had caught up with them.

"I was there too," he reminded her, "and I'll never forget what we shared together."

She furrowed her brow even as his words touched her profoundly. So much she remained confused about and she didn't think getting her memory back would change that. What if she remembered that she and Matt…weren't meant to cross the boundaries established for their friendship? Would she really be upset with him as he seemed to believe? She couldn't imagine it but she couldn't imagine what she had been like before the car accident robbed her of her identity along with her memories that built it.

"I won't either," she said, "I wish… well it doesn't really matter."

He stroked her face, wanting so much to do more than that but one of them had to protect the other. As much as he had enjoyed the other night, a part of him reproached him before it because he felt as if he had taken advantage of her confusion. After all, her feelings for him were shaped largely on her inability to remember her relationship with him mixed with the urgency of the situation they had both found themselves caught up in and were trying to end.

"It does to me," he said, "Because you're not the only one that wishes we could just go with what you feel. If you knew what I wanted right now…"

He stopped talking and she rested her hand against his chest feeling his heartbeat there. She imagined that her own had picked up markedly too.

"The why don't we?"

He looked at her, saw the willingness in her face to share herself with him, with no rules governing that and he felt the pull, the want to draw her in his embrace and on the bed. To put everything else going on around them aside for a while, so they could concentrate on each other and these whirlwind of feelings they shared. Damn she looked so tempting sitting there looking at him with those warm eyes of hers and her even warmer body.

Breathing deeply, he just shook his head. If she knew that was one of the hardest decisions he had to make, but how to make her see his actions as that rather than rejection?

"C.J…I can't…we can't and it's got nothing to do with my feelings for me, just trust me on that," he said, "I couldn't live with myself if when you got your memory back, you felt cheated like I took advantage of you…"

Or even worse, feeling violated.

Like he had taken a part of her that she hadn't wanted to share with him.

"But what if my memory comes back and I still want this," she asked, "What will you do then?"

He stroked the hair off of her face.

"We'll cross that bridge when he come to it," he said, "but I'd be lying if I didn't hope that were the outcome."

She smiled at that.

"I guess I can live with that," she said, "It just feels like sometimes there's something greater between us…than friendship as powerful as that might be."

Matt had often felt that too and his memories were intact. Their relationship had always had its complications because he had struggled with the deepness of their friendship as one free of sexual attraction. Because the truth was, there were times that he had known her when he had wanted to cross that line but she remained convinced that it would damage their friendship. That if they brought sex into it, it would eventually come between them. But her memory loss had apparently erased that and maybe that had just left the attraction that she felt for him.

If she regained her memory and those feelings still remained with fewer barriers attached to him, what would he do then? Then he didn't think he could go back to what they had previously shared and keep his hands to himself. But what if instead, she wanted to stick to the parameters of their friendship.

He knew he'd have to go along with that…and wasn't sure that he wanted to do that. But if that's what she wished from him, he would do it.

But he would still want her anyway. The softness of her skin, the scent of her that intoxicated him and the passion that lay behind her eyes because face it, when she unleashed it even a little, he turned into putty.

Her capable hands could certainly accomplish that quickly enough.

He looked at her and thought it was getting quite warm in there so he got up.

"Where are you going," she asked him.

"Just making sure the doors and windows are locked up," he said, doing just that.

She watched him, knowing that her closeness made him nervous in a way she probably wouldn't be used to even if she had her memory.

"Houston come here."

He looked at her then, his eyes filled with the emotions which probably mirrored her own.

"I won't bite," she said, "at least not until I remember whether I want to or not."

He smiled at that and headed back towards her, settling on the bed as the mattress creaked. She looked up at him, biting her lip.

"Could you just hold me tonight while I sleep," she said, "Do you think you can handle it?"

He gave it some thought.

"I think I can do that," he said, stretching out on the bed.

She settled in beside him and he wrapped her in her arms, tucking her against his sturdy chest. C.J. smiled, feeling his breath against her.

"How does that feel," he asked.

"Really nice…goodnight Houston."

He closed his eyes too, the smell of her shampoo reaching his nostrils, enticing him. But he had to be the man that she needed right now. As for anything else, that would just have to wait.

But damn, even as her breath grew softer as he held her, sleep for him didn't come as quickly.


	39. Chapter 39

Another one of this FF up! Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

She lay next to him, her skin pressed against his own where her shirt had ridden up a bit as she curled against him on the bed. Visions of what it had felt to do much more than feel that soft skin filled his head and he didn't push them away. The more that he tried to do that, the more they would push their way through when his defenses weakened.

Like they had now.

She slept peacefully but he wrestled with the decision he had made to take the upper road by not succumbing to his own feelings which must have been buried for far longer than he believed. The much more difficult road, he thought ruefully as the scent of lilacs from her shampoo reached him.

What kept him on his best behavior had been the idea that when her memory returned, she might look back at their passionate interlude with regret. That she had stepped over the boundaries between them because she hadn't know they had been there. And why hadn't he stopped her from pushing their relationship past the point of no return? He didn't want the look of elation on her face when her memory returned to be followed by the pain of remembering the night they had spent together. After all, she had been the one who had stubbornly believed that a sexual relationship would alter their friendship in a way that would be damaging to it and to them. After all, it had come up before when they had gotten a bit carefree, their guard had dropped and they had found themselves wrapped up in each others' arms.

But they had always stopped themselves because one of them had remembered the rules. That hadn't been the case the other night because she hadn't remembered that this unwritten rule book even existed between them and he had been too far gone to remind her.

No, that had been a convenient excuse when in reality, he had known but the offer that she made to him when she kissed him, he couldn't resist. She had told him afterward as they lay spent together and even since, that she had no regrets about what happened but how could she when she didn't remember their past?

But the day would certainly come when it would return to her in clarity along with the repercussions of that one highly pleasurable act. One that had been even more than that, because being with his best friend hadn't been like the other women that he had slept with during his very active social life.

Not even the handful of women he had loved among those he had hit the sack with for more recreational reasons. It hadn't been at all like he had imagined it and he had done that more than he would ever admit to her. After all, what guy wouldn't look at her and imagine what it would be like? He might be her best friend since they were both kids but that didn't make him blind to her beauty.

She stirred next to him and he tightened his embrace instinctively. The woman next to him, he had known longer than he hadn't but her amnesia had made her a mystery in many ways. Robbed of her memories, she had been left with her feelings including those she didn't understand. Primarily involving her relationship with him. What it must be like to have forgotten the experiences they both shared but not the feelings that they elicited or that had clearly grown between them even as they both tried to pretend they hadn't.

Her life as she knew it had only been a couple of weeks or so when her experiences with the men she encountered were that they abused the women they imprisoned before they murdered them. So her view of men had clearly been impacted by the experiences limited to recollection and she had learned that she and other women were viewed as commodities. Sex, consensual or not, had been the currency of exchange of the world that she had found herself after being grabbed at a bar and thrown in the back of a police wagon one night.

After all, she had just agreed to meet a deputy at his house in hopes of trying to find evidence to clear her of murder charges and looking at the determination in her eyes, he knew then she would do whatever it took to find that evidence. Even if it meant…but she had told him that she wouldn't go that far. But the man had freely admitted to her that he had killed some of those women left buried out in the desert and had planned to do the same to her after the party at Piser's ranch.

But then an unknown player with a murderous bent had taken the matter out of her hand by picking off Chad who deserved no less for what he had done to perhaps dozens of women who crossed his path. Whether or not he had been following orders didn't change things in Matt's mind.

But it did mean that he and C.J. would have a chance to search the residence tomorrow…once the homicide investigators left. He just hoped if there were evidence there including the surveillance video that it wouldn't disappear in the hands of a corrupt cop.

They needed a break about now.

* * *

C.J. looked up at him while she tried to pull up the straps of her bikini top that had dropped off her shoulders.

"Why did you pick me," she asked.

The man with the Stetson hat just looked at her and chuckled.

"Because you're a pretty little thing even though we both know your name isn't Bunny…"

She looked at him confused.

"But you know what it is, don't you?"

He just shook his head at her and joined her on the bed.

"Why don't we just forget about all that and get down to business," he said, "You do know what that means."

She tilted her head.

"Do I have a choice?"

He sidled up to her and started stroking her shoulder, slipping her bikini strap down her arm again.

"Oh come on doll face," he said, "if you cooperate with me, I'll put in a good word for you with the judge."

"But I didn't even do anything," she said, "I was kidnapped by the sheriff and his men."

"You were whoring yourself at a local establishment," he said, "So this shouldn't be difficult for you at all though the sheriff did say you were a little…shy."

She had slapped Butz when he had forced her onto the couch and had thrown himself on top of her plastering her with his disgusting kisses as she struggled to push him off of her. It wasn't about being shy, it was about it being her choice and she knew that had been taken from her. She certainly had no memory of being a prostitute though for all she knew she could have been turning tricks for years.

"Now come on, you just relax and let old Piser take care of her," he cajoled, reaching for her breast.

She steeled herself for the touch she knew was coming and told herself it felt foreign to her to be fondled and not have anything to say about it.

"You better go along with this or I'll have to hurt you…"

She closed her eyes, wondering if he knew he had done that already.

* * *

Darkness met her as she opened her eyes suddenly, and her dream faded quickly. But her heart kept beating rapidly and she found herself in the embrace of someone. Instinct led her to struggle in his grasp before she even remembered his name.

That of course woke him up.

"Let go of me," she said, still struggling.

But he didn't, he embraced her even tighter against him while her memory caught up with her fear.

"It's just me C.J.," he said, "You fell asleep. I stayed with you because you didn't want to be alone."

She just looked at him, making out the details of his face and finally nodded her muscles relaxing.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Shhh, you don't have anything to be sorry about," he said, "now close those eyes and you'll be back asleep soon."

But she couldn't do that.

"I don't think he knew I was supposed to die."

Matt's sleepy mind struggled to keep pace.

"Who didn't know?"

"Piser," she said, "I dreamed about him from that day at his ranch."

Matt sighed and pulled her even closer.

"He's not here," he said, "and maybe he didn't know but that didn't mean he didn't hurt you any less."

Because Matt knew that he had done that even though she had knocked him out before he had raped her. He didn't wonder that her memory still kept that terrible event tightly in its embrace. To protect her during the daylight hours she needed to survive but visiting her while she slept.

"I know that," she said, "but why wouldn't they just tell him?"

"I don't know," Matt said, "Maybe they did most of the work managing the ring and he brought them the political connections."

"You mean luring in the elected officials to be blackmailed later on."

Matt figured that Piser had played an instrumental role in doing that at least until someone killed him.

"Maybe he was being blackmailed himself," she guessed, "He certainly can't tell us now."

"No he can't," Matt said, "unless he kept any records of his own but they probably would have been destroyed in the fire unless…"

"He kept them elsewhere," C.J. said, "outside his house. That would be handy in case anyone ever came in to search his place for evidence of the ring."

Matt caressed her hair and she relaxed, because his fingers always felt so good.

"At any rate, we'll worry about it in the morning after you get some sleep," he said, "So close those eyes of yours and it will be morning soon enough."

She nodded and did just that.

"Houston…"

"Mmmm?"

"Thanks for being here," she said, "and helping me find my way at getting my life back."

He kissed her forehead as she turned towards him.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

She drifted off with those words floating inside her head and he sank back on the pillow knowing that they were the truth but he had left something left unsaid.

He wouldn't be anywhere else because he loved her.


	40. Chapter 40

Another installment up...

* * *

They woke up the next morning with the sunlight and went back to the diner at the motel where they found Fran and Rhonda sitting there waiting for them. Rhonda just threw both of them a look.

"Where have you two been," she said, "You didn't come back last night."

Matt and C.J. sat down.

"A couple more players have died," he said.

"Some member of the corrections board was murdered in the parking lot," Rhonda said, "and we heard something on the radio about another murder."

"It was one of the deputies who killed some of the women out in the desert," C.J. said, "He got shot. I was going to meet him when it happened."

The other two women just looked at her like she was crazy.

"What were you doing going to him," Fran asked.

"I was going to search his place to find evidence," C.J. explained, "including that video from inside the ranch house."

"That's awfully dangerous don't you think?"

"I was going to be very careful," C.J. said, "but someone got to him before me."

"Any idea who," Rhonda asked.

C.J. shook her head.

"No idea at all," she said, "Someone's going around and killing all the key players…well except for…"

"The guy in the lot," Fran said, "You killed him didn't you?"

"I tried to protect myself and he fell on his blade," C.J. said, "I didn't mean to kill him."

Fran snorted.

"He probably deserved it anyway," she said, "if he's working for them."

Matt and C.J. ordered some coffee and some eggs.

"Listen did the police canvass this place," he asked.

Rhonda sighed.

"We left out the back way just as they arrived en masse," she said, "So we weren't here but some of the waitresses…like Louise were questioned but none of them saw anything."

"We spent the night in the park," Rhonda said, "and just got back here early this morning when they were gone."

"They shouldn't be back," Matt said, "but C.J. and I are going back later to the deputy's house to see if we can find anything useful."

"Won't the police find it first?"

"Not if it's hidden away," he said, "Which is what I suspect happened…although if his killer stuck around, he or she might have found it."

"I hope not," C.J. said.

They all looked up to see Stacy walking into the diner and her eyes lit up when she saw them all sitting there.

"The body count in this town just keeps going up," she said, "especially since you all arrived here."

Matt nodded.

"You know about the deputy getting shot," he said.

"Single gunshot wound to the head," she said, "Not from very far away."

"Any suspects?"

She shook her head.

"They just keep sending out some talking head to tell everyone that there's a murderous band of outlaw women running around killing people and that everyone should just stay indoors."

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"That's just so ridiculous," she said, "They need to lock up everyone involved in Butz' ring and then everyone would be safer."

"Women would stop disappearing," Fran said, "and being so afraid."

Stacy just looked at them expectedly.

"So what are your plans how?"

Matt and C.J. looked at each other.

"We're still working on that part of it," he said, "but we need your help too."

Stacy folded her arms.

"To do what?"

"To keep your eyes and ears open for anyone trying to fence any evidence," he said, "Someone already tried to extort C.J. and I into paying out a lot of change on some surveillance video."

"Well they weren't going to make my bosses pay a damn thing."

"That means it might be someone who's trying to expose the person who really killed Piser."

Which didn't make a whole lot of sense to C.J. but then not much about this case did and somewhere back in her mind, she had flashes of investigating situations that had seemed to follow a logical chain of events, not like this one.

She wished she could remember things more clearly.

"Sheriff Butz isn't budging with the interrogators," Stacy said, "I guess he's holding out for something better."

Matt stroked his jaw.

"If he rats anyone out," he said, "He might be the next one killed."

"You don't think he's behind the murders," Stacy asked.

Matt shook his head.

"I think it's someone within the organization trying to clean things up," he said, "Someone higher ranking who has a lot more to lose if people start spilling to the cops to make deals."

Fran frowned.

"We never met or saw anyone higher than Piser," she said, "We don't know who he answered to if anyone."

"Maybe it's one of the politicians," Rhonda said, "one from out of the area or even the state. There were some involved who were from pretty high places."

Yes indeed, C.J. thought but would any of them be willing to get their hands dirty. But they could always hire hit men to take care of the messy parts of this operation. But they still had to factor in the latest revelations about blackmail and extortion which may have been used against the politicians so they would do others' bidding.

And that definitely could have incited one or more of them to murder. Maybe the person who had the surveillance video was striking back by holding onto evidence of who really killed Piser if it had been someone in the organization.

Her head spun trying to just catch up with what had transpired let alone figure it out. She wondered how Matt did it.

He looked at her.

"We'd better get going," he said.

She nodded and they stood up, walking to the doorway.

"Where are you going," Stacy asked, "Don't tell me you're going to check out that deputy's place."

"Then we won't," Matt said, "We're just going to look for more information."

C.J. nodded.

"We'll get in touch with you later."

The two of them left with Stacy just standing there shaking her head.

* * *

As the two of them left the diner, they headed towards the parked car. After getting inside, they drove to the neighborhood where the murdered deputy lived. Looking ahead, they didn't see any activity around or inside the cordoned area nor any police cars parked in front of them.

"Is it deserted," she asked.

He drove through slowly to check it out but no one appeared to be at the residence. After parking the car about a block down the street, they got out and walked back to the place.

They tried the door and to their surprise, it opened easily.

"Maybe someone else has been here?"

He sighed.

"I hope they're not still here."

They both cautiously walked in the residence looking for any sign of anyone there and listening out for even the smallest sound. But it seemed to be as empty and quiet as it appeared to be from the outside. They entered into the kitchen and saw traces of the investigation all around them, numbered tags detailing evidence including some blood splatters everywhere.

"Looks like he was shot close range," Matt noted.

"And maybe didn't die instantly."

Matt looked around the kitchen.

"I wonder how thoroughly they searched the place," he said, "Either the police or the killer."

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"I don't think the killer would have had much time to do that before the police were called by neighbors," she said, "Probably 10 minutes at most."

"If he knew the place, he could get more done during that window of time."

"But the place doesn't look tossed," C.J. said, "So maybe he didn't unless he knew exactly where to look."

Matt moved to the living room.

"Then we'd better start looking."

And so they did with Matt starting in the living room and C.J. heading towards one of the bedrooms. She searched the closet amid the clothes there but frowned when she saw that there were dresses and skirts hanging there, not to mention a shoe bag filled with ladies models.

"Hmmm Houston…"

He didn't hear her so she kept looking but further searching made it clear that Chad might not have been living in this house alone. That maybe he had a wife or a female cohabitant. And he had invited her to his place to get to know each other better but then again, why should she be surprised? The guy committed murder, why would cheating on a wife or a girlfriend be off limits?

She couldn't find anything there so she moved towards a dresser. Suddenly Matt walked in the bedroom.

"Find anything?"

"No…but he doesn't live here by himself Houston," she said, "There are women's clothes in the closet."

"Maybe he's married or…living with someone."

Her brow arched.

"You think?"

"We'll we've got to keep looking," he said, "because the living room came up empty."

She sighed sitting on the bed for a moment.

"Do you think he had the video?"

Matt shrugged.

"Could be," he said, "or something else that might be helpful."

"I really hope we find something because I'm getting really tired of this mess."

He looked over and saw it on her face, though she tried to cover it with a smile.

" C.J. we're going to figure all this out and it's going to be over real soon and then we can head back home."

"And I can focus more on remembering my life and who I really am…and we can figure out where to go from here since we violated a cardinal rule in our friendship."

He smiled.

"It's not quite that bad," he said, "Who knows, maybe it will be a whole new beginning."

"I hope so," she said, "I don't know why but I look at you and I don't understand why we never had that kind of relationship before now."

He sighed. Because he knew that the woman he knew who resided inside her would be able to answer that only now she couldn't because a blow to the head had sufficiently buried her. But when her memory returned, she would remember that understanding. The question would be, would she still want their relationship to be under those terms?

But until then, the future remained unwritten and undecided and what lived instead was only the present.

"C.J…"

Suddenly she froze.

"I hear something…from the other room."

Then Matt heard it too, the sound of a lock turning in a door. Someone was about to enter the residence.

"Is it the cops coming back," she said, "or the killer."

He gestured for both of them to crawl under the bed quickly and she did first, while he followed. Just in time to hear footsteps coming into the bedroom and what looked like a pair of high heels.


	41. Chapter 41

Another installment is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt and C.J. lay as quietly as they could beneath the bed and watched and listened as a pair of heels moved across the floor.

"Chad, are you here," a woman's voice called, "Don't tell me that you brought another tramp in here."

The footsteps moved closer to the bed.

"I'll know if you've been cheating on me again."

C.J. just listened to the woman's voice. Didn't she know that he had been killed and who was she anyway? His wife, or a long-term girlfriend, the guy hadn't been wearing any wedding bands. Suddenly they heard a phone ring.

"Hello…this is Colleen…Ted is that you…No I'm at the house and the cheating scumbag isn't around…what…that can't be right…I mean I just saw the louse yesterday in the hallway of the Wandering Heart in Glendale feeling up some woman…You can't be serious."

The bedsprings twanged and the mattress sagged as Colleen sat on the edge of the bed, obviously in some state of shock.

"He can't be dead…who would want to kill him except maybe…it wasn't me…I wasn't even back in town until this morning…"

C.J. wondered who she was talking to about the death of a man she clearly had issues about and had probably argued with in a public place when she caught Chad groping another woman. The man certainly acted the Lothario.

"Oh my god…the police are going to come looking for me…they always blame the wife…and I just yelled at him in public yesterday…I'm so busted…"

The mattress sagged further as Colleen shifted her position.

"I guess I better get on out of Dodge then…No that would just make me look more suspicious…I don't even know what he does half the time…I just know he's no normal deputy…he's out at odd hours of the night after getting these really hushed up phone calls…"

C.J. sighed, wondering if it were true that the wife always was the last to know. Her husband after all had murdered women and then stuck them inside shallow graves in the desert. Maybe she had been suspicious but just thought that he had been cheating on her again since it seemed to be a regular thing.

"I swear I didn't do it and I didn't know… How did you know…oh it's been all over the news…."

Matt looked over at her and they knew they had to wait this out, staying under the bed hidden until Colleen left the building or at least the room. Then perhaps they could climb out the window. They heard her click off the phone and swear to herself.

"Damn first it's that troublemaking Piser and now it's my husband…How can I be involved with two men who are killed in the same month?"

C.J. and Matt looked at each other, shocked by her revelation. So she had some sort of relationship with Piser, the man that had been calling the shots to her husband, an interlude that was separate from both men's involvement in the prostitution ring? How likely was that? Maybe she wasn't as much of an innocent bystander as she appeared. The mattress rose up and they heard her rummaging through the room. The dresser drawers and into the closet. They really hoped she wouldn't look underneath the bed.

The footsteps neared the bed again but another heavier pair soon joined them.

"What are you doing here," Colleen asked , "what's been going on in my house?"

"Your husband was shot to death yesterday," the voice said, "Police have been investigating."

"I just heard…you see I've been out of town and really don't know anything."

"We don't have any suspects as of yet except there are several women who might have been out on a killing spree since they escaped from the jail around here," the man said.

"Are these women still around and are they dangerous?"

"They might be," the man said, "but since you're his wife, we're going to need a statement from you."

"I was just about to make myself something to eat," she said, "It's been a long week."

"This won't take long…"

Matt and C.J. heard the two of them leave the room. They mutually decided to leave at that point without searching further. They extricated themselves from beneath the bed and walked towards the window.

"Can you open it," she asked.

He examined it closely.

"I don't know…but this is the easiest way out of here."

He pushed at the window but it wouldn't budge.

"Need help?"

"I think I just need to change my position a little bit and I'll have it."

C.J. watched him and then her eye caught something.

"Maybe you need to flip that little switch there."

He looked at her and did just that and then the window opened more easily. The two of them climbed out with him going first and then helping her step down onto the grass as she climbed through. They were in a side yard with an empty clothesline and could hear voices coming from the front. He took her hand in his own and they quietly walked towards the back where there was a gate into an alley. Since it was locked, he hoisted her over and then followed her until both of them stood in the deserted alley.

"What do we do now?"

He thought about it.

"I'm not sure he had anything but it might be worth a trip back."

She sighed as they walked together.

"I was hoping to find the video."

"I know," he said, "I wonder if the killer found it."

"Then we'll have to find the killer," she said, "This is getting so messy."

Matt agreed.

"Look at all the parties involved," he said, "Some of the top ranking politicians have their hands in this mess."

"I guess doing the job that they're elected to do and representing the people is just never enough," she said.

"Too much temptation out there."

"But this isn't embezzlement and it's not grift," she said, "It's kidnapping women, forcing them into prostitution and if they resist killing them."

Matt knew that C.J. was still a little shaken from the reality that she came close to suffering that fate just like many other women. A fate in her case the amnesia had made her vulnerable to it.

"So what do we do next," she asked.

They turned onto the main street to find their way back to the motel.

"I do know what I want," she said, "I want to feel safe again like I did that night."

He looked at her and read it on her face. The night they had made love in the motel room, something they hadn't done before then. Something that might never have happened at all if it hadn't been for the chain of recent events.

"C.J…"

"I know…I feel so exposed out here as a fugitive and I just want to forget about it for a while."

Matt knew how she felt having been a fugitive for a crime he hadn't committed himself and having experienced a lot of disorientation and memory loss after being subjected to mind control. He did fee himself from that ordeal and found the real criminals and C.J. had been instrumental in doing that with him. Even at the cost of nearly her life when she had been shot while they were looking for evidence inside a building. Another ex of his had been killed in mid-sentence leaving C.J. and him to flee without what they needed. But not before she told him that she loved him so sure that they would soon be dead and wanting him to know that.

Then the discovery of her injury and risking his freedom to take her to the hospital and her working very hard despite being injured in the following weeks to do her part to help him and his uncle, Roy.

But he had never really acknowledged the admission that she had made to him. Life had simply continued on forward after the nightmare had been brought to an end.

But only a short amount of time had passed until it had been her turn. Not long after returning from Hawaii where she had gone to recuperate for several weeks from another job related injury. Another bullet wound that had nearly been fatal, mostly because they were forced to wait several days before heading to the hospital.

"C.J…we're going to get back with the others and we'll think of something."

She sighed and then nodded. Because she really didn't need the other women right now, she needed him but she couldn't say it. The rules that they had made about their friendship were back in play, the ones she didn't remember.

"You're going to be fine," he told her, "I think we're getting closer…"

"I wish it were done," she said, "but I understand what you're saying. We must have handled cases which were even more difficult and frustrating than this one."

Matt knew that they had but this was different because it was so personal. Because it involved her. The woman who had told him once that she loved him and never received an answer.

* * *

They looked up and saw Stacy there with her photographer next to a business.

"What's going on," C.J. asked.

"I don't know," Matt said, "We'd better find out."

They walked up to her and she saw them, her face excited.

"The police are questioning people in the bar about the latest murder," she said, "Chad used to frequent this place."

Matt and C.J. looked at each other.

"Witnesses saw him with a woman who looks like you."

C.J. just sighed.

"We bumped into each other," she said, "but I had nothing to do with his murder."

Stacy shrugged.

"He died at his home anyway," she said, "sometime after he left the bar."

"Did he have any enemies," Matt asked.

"Like I'd know," Stacy said, "They were trying to find Colleen, his wife. They used to fight in public a lot mostly because of his wandering eyes."

"When did she last see him?"

"I don't know," Stacy said, "I don't really know them well. It's just a small town."

Another man came up to Stacy at that point.

"Did you hear the news," he said, breathlessly.

"About what?"

"Sheriff Butz is out of jail."

The three of them looked at the man shocked.

"How'd that happen," Stacy asked.

"He got bailed out by an unknown benefactor," the man said, "He and his lawyer are giving a press conference later on."

"I'll be there," Stacy said.

The guy left and she looked at Matt and C.J.

"This case is getting a bit stranger with these twists and turns," she said, "It's going to make one hell of a story."

"Where's the conference being held," Matt asked.

Stacy looked at them funny.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because we plan to be there too."


	42. Chapter 42

Another installment up on this story! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. and Matt crept into the back of the crowded room that had been packed with journalists and other people interested in seeing what Butz and his attorney issue their statement. She just hoped that she stood far enough away from the creep who had tried to assault her in his office because a part of her felt like doing serious harm to him. They saw Stacy and Lance standing near the front and some television cameras all lined up in the front row.

They looked at each other.

"This is really become a hot story," C.J. said, "Look at all this."

Matt agreed. This scandal did what many others that struck small towns had done, it put it on the map. The tourists would probably be lining up next to pay money to some enterprising individuals to visit the latest hot spot. But he and C.J. planned to be long gone by then and back to L.A.

Finally a hush fell over the crowd and they looked up to see Butz dressed in civilian clothes, his hair recently cut and a pair of shades over his eyes. He and a serious bespectacled buy in a dark suit walked up to the podium and tapped the microphone. All eyes and cameras turned their direction. Butz smiled and his lawyer nodded and then he began to speak.

"Greetings to all of you folks who showed up to cover this unfolding story for the American public and welcome to our small corner of the world in Bannon County. Let me just assure you that I am not here to condone what has happened to those women that were found in the desert but to tell you that I am innocent of all suggestion that I had anything to do with their misfortune…"

C.J. just shook her head at his audacity. Spinning another lie for public consumption when she knew the truth about him and everyone around him. He cleared his throat and then continued.

"I was innocent of any wrongdoing and I have been horribly framed and maligned by a small group of bitter and disgruntled women who broke the solicitation laws and wound up in my jail facility. They plotted against me and my deputies in order to get their criminal charges dropped at arraignment. One of them even tried to seduce me to get her charges dropped…"

C.J. felt the anger boil inside of her and Matt looked at her watching Butz silently.

"She came into my office and lay suggestively on my couch and she tried to kiss me."

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"I hope some sharp reporter asks him why keep a couch in his office in the first place."

Butz became emotional then and he reached to take a handkerchief to wipe his eyes.

"I didn't know what to do, as after I told her I wasn't interested, she started touching me…"

C.J. really tried to contain herself because she knew if she responded to his words, she would just get herself arrested and locked up.

"She was dressed like a temptress…she even called herself Bunny."

She had been dressed in white jeans scuffed up from her accident and a dress top. And besides what did it matter when he had thrown her on the couch and then attacked her, kissing her with his disgusting mouth and groping her with his hands. If the deputy hadn't interrupted them, she knew what would have happened to her and to see him rewrite that assault, the one consolation she had was that she had gotten that one slap in.

"I want to kill him…"

Matt looked at her and rubbed her back. '

"I know…but not as much as me."

"I don't know how much more of this I can hear."

Matt sighed.

"He'll run out of words to say soon enough and he might reveal something important."

"I don't know how much he knew," she said, "If someone's giving him orders, I wish we'd know."

"So do I," Matt said, "But he'll finish and go back home…unless someone in this room's really a sniper."

C.J. nodded, not that it would be all that surprising if someone did take him out, given how the parties involved were dropping like flies lately. This corner of the Arizonan desert was becoming the crime capital of the world. That and the scandal was why the media had congregated to this dusty spot.

"I will be pushing for criminal charges when this sociopathic female is arrested which will of course trail her multiple murder charges."

C.J. just grimaced.

"If I've killed all these people already, what's one more victim?"

Matt just looked at her, knowing that his revisionist view of what had happened to her made her feel what really had happened in that office all over again. Not to mention what she had gotten from Piser. He wanted to leave his spot and go up there and wipe the floor with the guy but all that would do would be to put C.J. and the other women in more danger.

Butz of course had no idea what transpired in the back and continued speaking.

"Also I and my attorney will be filing a civil action suit against the state police, the state government and the United States Department of Justice for pushing for this fraudulent investigation against me and my department. We will go to the matt on this legal battle and we will prevail in our day of court."

What a circus that would be, Matt thought but if the truth came out, he doubted Butz would ever seen a cent. But he could stir up quite a bit of media attention for himself though Matt wasn't sure why he wanted it. Surely, the media would see through him that he had just concocted a bunch of lies to tell them at this conference but then again, being a villain just made him worthy of more attention from them. He wouldn't be the first criminal to be commercialized and sold to the American public as something else.

"Any questions?"

Oh she had plenty of them, C.J. thought and she knew Matt did as well. The media representatives remained silent and then the questions started coming.

"If there's no prostitution in Bannon County's jails, what was really going on at Piser's ranch," one reporter in front asked.

Butz adjusted his tie.

"Piser was a very generous man who provided his beautiful home and ranch to hosting parties for the female prisoners in our jails. He did it not for his own personal gain but because he wanted to make their jail time more uplifting than it would be otherwise."

"Who killed him then?"

"We believe that it was one or more of the female inmates who escaped after not taking his goodwill gesture in the spirit that it was intended."

Matt and C.J. listened from the back as Butz calmly answered the media who peppered him with questions. None seemed to faze him because he had clearly rehearsed his answers with his lawyers ahead of time.

"Where's the sniper," she said.

"C.J…we're going to get this creep but we need him alive to do that."

She sighed.

"I know but I just want him dead right now."

"So do I, but we've got to let the justice system take care of this."

"Maybe that's why they're all dying Houston," she said, "Maybe it's not someone trying to kill them to cover it up but someone out for revenge."

Matt thought about that. Damn , that could be it as far as motives go and they had to consider everything.

"We still don't know why the three women who escaped when you did were killed."

"Oh Butz or whoever else is in charge hired someone to come after us," she said, "I know that because they threatened the women all the time to keep them under control."

"Then there could be two different killers or two sets of killers working here."

C.J. looked back over at Butz.

"I wish one of these reporters could at least make him break a sweat."

Another reporter questioned the sheriff about the grand jury proceeding against him and whether or not there would be any indictments. Butz chuckled and said some of the jurists had known him for years in town so they knew him as an honest man.

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"Incestuous system you have here," she said, "like most towns."

Then Stacy stood up.

"Why should the public be expected to believe your story of what happened?"

Butz just blinked and they saw him try to make out Stacy's identity. He conferred with his attorney.

"A good question miss, and the answer is because I'm your sheriff and the county's voters elected me to do a job and God willing, they will trust me enough to elect me to the position again."

The reporters stared up at him.

"These allegations of corruption and murder in my county are just thinly veiled attempts to ruin my reputation so that some other shadowy party can then come out and run against me after smearing my good name…and now if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to like keeping this county safe from riffraff."

He and his attorney left the podium. The reporters broke up and took apart their equipment, chattering eagerly amongst themselves. Matt and C.J. looked for a quick exit. They saw Stacy slip away from Lance and walk towards them.

"What did you think?"

"I think he's disgusting and he needs to get what's coming to him," C.J. said, walking away.

"She's not sounding very happy."

"How would you feel if something bad that happened to you was rewritten as something you instigated?"

Stacy nodded.

"Good point," she said, "I thought Butz to be a very shady individual. He looked much better in his campaign brochure."

"He's running again…when?"

"He's got a four year term," Stacy said, "So later on this year although no one's filed against him yet."

"With all this corruption, he could still win?"

Stacy shrugged.

"He just might in this county," she said, "No one much cares about women who get into trouble and wind up behind bars anyway. Maybe they think he was doing a favor."

"But if this was a blackmail scheme…"

"Then one of his targets could be going on a killing spree," she said, "but who?"

Matt didn't know the answer to that but he would keep looking at that and other angles including that someone might be out for revenge on behalf of one of the missing or even dead women.

"I'll see you later," he said, then left.

* * *

C.J. had been walking back to the car and bumped right into him. Butz who had left his attorney and must have been preparing to leave himself. When he saw her, he didn't look angry in fact he smiled.

"Bunny…how have you been doing," he said, "I've been reading all about you."

She looked at him directly.

"My name's not Bunny but you know that."

He chuckled.

"Sure I do and I hope you weren't offended by what I just said about you," he said, "but you liked what we were doing, the way I kissed you."

She just tried to control her breathing.

"Do you really think that," she said, "That I liked when you forced your hands beneath my shirt and pushed me on the couch?"

"I think you like a little fighting…wild filly like yourself just needs the right handling that's all."

It took all she had to keep her hands at her side as she watched him relive that time in his office.

"I didn't want it at all," she said, "I fought you, I tried to push you away and I hit you."

She had struck him once on the cheek and had seen his eyes grow steely so she had awaited an even harder blow back but the deputy had interrupted them.

"I'm none the worse for wear for it," he said, "It's nothing personal. You just looked like you needed a man's attention."

"You were going to give me to a man to use," she said, "and he tried his best too but he died didn't he?"

His lack of surprise didn't come unexpected because he knew his partner had been murdered but did he know who pulled the trigger?

"I know he's dead and I know why," Butz said, "but you'll never know the answer to either because you're nothing but a whore like the rest of them."

She didn't budge. After all, he certainly hadn't been the only one in this sorry town to label her and the other women that way.

"And you're just a pimp," she said, "and you're going to get what's coming to you."

He smiled but not kindly.

"and who's going to do that," he said, "You? I'm going to get off clean and get rich off the civil suit and you're going to prison…"

"We'll just see about that," a voice behind them said.

"Houston…."

"C.J. we're just getting ready to go aren't we?"

She nodded.

"Butz, you'd better pray it's only the justice system that's left to handle you…"

The sheriff stared at Matt.

"Now you're threatening me and not just this bitch?"

Matt grabbed the man's hand, twisted him around so he nearly fell face first on the asphalt. Butz began to protest immediately.

"Let me go…"

"You have a lot to learn about treating women with respect," he said, "but you call her anything like those two words you just used and I'll make you wish someone stuck some Texan cactus down your throat."

He finally let Butz go and he toppled to the ground, sputtering. His lawyer rushed over and glared at Matt and C.J.

"You best leave or I'll file restraining orders against both of you to stay away from him."

"No need to do that," Matt said, dusting off his hands, "If he keeps to himself and quiet until the feds get him."

* * *

Matt and C.J. left the sheriff behind and headed back to the hotel. C.J. hit the shower because she wanted to wash away any memory of the odious man. Afterward, she put on a robe and went out to where Matt had been speaking on the phone.

"I left some hot water."

"I just talked to Fran," Matt said, "She and Rhonda have Louise over and are helping her figure out how to cut through the red tape to get Roxie's body back for burial."

C.J. nodded.

"I should get dressed and go too," she said, "I have legal skills that I still do remember."

He smiled.

"I'll be here working on the disk," he said, "you can come back and we'll debrief on our activities."

She nodded.

"It might not be until later…"

"That will be fine," he said, "I'll have some food waiting."

She walked over to him and embraced him and he felt her warm body against him and then she kissed him softly on the mouth.

"Thanks," she said, "for what you said to Butz."

He pushed a tendril of her hair back.

"No problem," he said, "though I'd still like to teach him a lesson or two."

"I know but we need you with us," she said, "and I need you."

He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her back, gently and then they set about to focus on their separate tasks.


	43. Chapter 43

This chapter is up. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and for the feedback!

* * *

Sitting with Louise and helping her initiate the steps to gain custody of her daughter's body reminded C.J. of why she became a lawyer. Not that she remembered much about all the studying she had done, the sacrifices she had made and the day she had walked up in her graduation at Harvard University and gotten her degree but that didn't matter.

She had gone into law to gain the tools to help other people.

It was one of those moments when she thought if she ever met this person she had been before, she might like her. But that woman had been much different than herself, a woman of confidence and poise and of great strength, someone who had a whole life of rich memories to draw upon when she needed them.

The woman she lived as now, a shell of that woman and at the same time someone totally different, still struggled to find herself in a crazy world that had been mostly a nightmare.

Except the time she had spent with him, especially wrapped up in his arms and experiencing the tactile sensations of a man who deeply cared for that other woman. Yet she hadn't felt as a substitute for her, but as her and she knew what the other woman never did, that her best friend held deep inside of him an intense attraction to her that matched his affection.

But within him was an even stronger, more innate need to protect her including from herself. To protect his old friend from this newer woman and thinking about all this too much just made her head spin and her heart ache. She knew that the woman that she had been and the one who temporarily replaced her shared more in common than looks, they both loved him.

Rhonda and Fran had turned on the television and plopped on the beds after Louise had left more empowered during a tragic time by the assistance they had given her. The news was dominated by the scandal that had rocked their county, the one they played parts in but hadn't been of their making.

"God I hate that photo of me," Rhonda lamented, "I never take a good mug shot."

Fran chuckled.

"You look like a crazed woman."

Rhonda shook her head.

"You look like the frigging Mona Lisa…"

C.J. watched the both of them and she didn't bother looking at the photo they had of her which had been taken when she had been dragged out of the police van after the kidnapping and forced to stand straight against a light colored wall and hold a placard while a deputy ordered her to change position several times. Her eyes looked distant, as much so as she had felt so soon after she awoke by her burning car and her face still bore the cuts and bruising from that accident.

"They said that there's still this band of women on a shooting spree," Fran said, "Four dead so far."

Rhonda sighed.

"What about the women discovered dead in the desert," she said, "or the others shot after escaping."

"That's the point Rhonda," Fran said, "They were shot trying to escape and the crooked cops probably told the media they are armed with shotguns or something and deserved it."

C.J. knew they had only been armed with a sense of freedom, from where they had been held captive to serve as playthings for a bunch of crony politicians. They probably had been murdered by whoever killed Piser to clean up loose ends. Just like the three of them would have probably wound up dead if they hadn't been able to make it to the cabin.

The one she remembered despite the amnesia. And then she remembered something else, something deep in her mind when she had been sitting on a rail fence at a ranch with a group of other people while Matt tried to sit on a bucking bronco. He'd been tossed on the ground and she had gone with two other men who she recalled wore ranching clothes to help him up. He had been limping and when she said something, he had retorted that a sign of insanity was a laughing loser.

And then later…they were flying in the sky in a small helicopter, dressed in business attire talking about something and he had smiled at her. But what greeted them was a throng of elegantly dressed people some dripping with jewelry and she realized that she had been wearing an evening gown and Matt, a tux while he joked about penguins.

She shook her head at the recollections they seemed to be that muddled her mind. Sometimes they hit her like this out of the blue when everything else had grown quiet and different pieces to different puzzles swirled around trying to find the right places.

"I wish things had worked out differently for Roxie," Rhonda said.

C.J. sighed.

"I wish so too," she said, "She died before she could fix things with her mother."

Fran shrugged.

"That's how life works most of the time," she said, "It's never nice and neat with everything resolved. She's going to find a way to live her life without her daughter."

C.J. couldn't imagine much worse than that. She knew she didn't have children but if she did, she definitely wanted them to outlive her and their father.

"I'd better head back and see what Houston found out."

Rhonda and Fran looked at each other.

"You two need to forget what wasn't in the past and live in the present," Rhonda said, "and if that means spending it together and breaking all those old rules…"

"I can't do that," C.J. said, "Houston wouldn't want me to think that he took advantage of my feelings when I wasn't really me."

"You are you," Rhonda said, "The feelings inside are the same as they were but the difference is right now you have no memories serving as their gatekeeper to which of them you honor and which you don't."

"I look at him and I see someone that I love," C.J. said, "That I've always loved and when I see the future, he's in it but that could all change if my memory returns."

"Maybe…maybe not…you never know about the future."

C.J. knew that was true but she didn't want to leave Matt regretting what they had shared and she didn't want to look into his eyes and see it there. But if her memory returned and she still felt the way she did when she looked at him now, then what? What if he simply was a guy who had spent his time wining and dining many women and wanted to return to that lifestyle?

* * *

She thought about that on the way back to his motel room and even when she stepped inside it. He sat by the computer and looked up at her.

"How'd it go?"

"It went," she said, putting her things down, "Of course it's not going to be easier for her."

"But she'll get to bury her daughter herself under a marker with her name on it and that helps a little."

She nodded.

"I suppose so," she said, "I guess the dead don't ever know."

He got up to go fix himself a Scotch from the mini-bar.

"Want some?"

She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said, "I don't want to want to feel those things again."

He sighed, looking at her, knowing exactly what she meant but then she brightened.

"I did remember some things while I was there," she said, "We were in the helicopter going to some party at the penthouse and a group of people waited for us there. It was some sort of party but it seemed…eventful."

Matt remembered that night, when one of his business enemies that he had testified against in court had gone after a group of defrauded investors, picking them off one by one at a faux party in Matt's building.

"Party of the year they say."

"Well, it's hard to sort the memories when they come," she said, "Sometimes they are pieces of different events all mashed together. It's very confusing."

"I can imagine but the rest will come back."

She sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I wonder if I'll remember how I feel about you now."

He heard the wistful tone in her voice.

"I know I will."

And he knew that would be true, he would remember it all including the night they had spent together and so would she but her feelings might be shifted by her memories of what had been before all this happened.

Her feelings about him as they returned to the parameters that she remembered had always been there and had defined their relationship. Their friendship would survive but what steps they had to take to reconcile what had happened between them with their past history, he didn't know.

The phone rang and both of them looked at each other. Matt went over and picked it up.

"Hello…this is Houston."

"This is Stacy," she said, "I'm on my way over right now. I have something to tell you."

Matt heard the urgency in her voice.

"What happened?"

"Someone tried to take out the sheriff," Stacy said, "Outside his lawyer's office not too long ago. He's injured but not seriously. They're trying to get his statement."

"Do they know who's responsible?"

"Are you?"

Matt figured that to be a fair enough question because he had threatened the guy, no he had promised what would happen to him if he messed with C.J. anymore. But the authorities might not differentiate between the two in this case.

"No actually I'm not," he said, "I've been working on the disk at the motel but not much luck. The rest is encrypted."

"There's certainly been a lot of killing here lately."

"Not lately," Matt said, "It's been going on for years with these women."

"Yeah…well they are putting together a dragnet to go after who's responsible for the latest killings," Stacy said, "It's being convened tomorrow."

"Every agency on it?"

"Local and state," Stacy said, "The feds are keeping a discrete watch except the ATF on the arson."

"The feds should be all over why some elected officials were either running or getting involved in a prostitution ring."

"I guess that's secondary," Stacy said, "Dead politicians come first."

Matt said he'd be waiting and then hung up before telling C.J. about what she had said. C.J. just shook her head, thinking could this situation get any crazier.

They just might find the answer to that question fairly soon.


	44. Chapter 44

Another chapter of this one up...hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Stacy knocked on the door and C.J. let her in. She had driven out to the motel making sure that she wouldn't be followed. She didn't think that the law enforcement officials suspected that she had been hanging out with the gang of fugitive women out for blood but she didn't want to take any chances.

"They're doing forensics to try to find out who tried to kill him," Stacy said, "They're going all out."

C.J. shook her head.

"They care more about that crook than they do the women he had killed."

Stacy sat on the bed and just looked at them.

"You two look like you've seen better days."

C.J. didn't doubt that even if she couldn't remember back that far except bits and pieces including the glitzy party that she had attended with Matt or some fragment of their past when they were working on the ranch growing up or spending time at a mountain cabin.

"Did anyone see anything," Matt asked.

Stacy shook her head.

"It was so dark without good lighting," she said, "and no one was paying attention to the sheriff except his attorney so whoever wanted to get him had a clear shot."

"Everyone must want a piece of him now," C.J. said, "Either for revenge for what happened to their loved ones or to keep him from talking to investigators. It's anyone's guess who got there first."

Matt nodded. So many players had emerged in one scandal that had rocked a remote corner of the Arizonan desert. He doubted this town had ever seen like this what with politicians being shot dead, women's bodies being uncovered from the desert and a prostitution scandal. And he had no doubt that it would worsen after they realized that blackmailing prominent politicians might have been the major draw of the entire operation.

Stacy listened as he tried to explain that to her, jotting down notes on her pad.

"It could be," she said, "depending on who they had the goods on at these parties at Piser's ranch."

C.J. had seen some of the photos of renowned movers and shakers who had influence all the way to the state capitol and all of them were in compromising positions with female inmates from the Bannon County Detention Center. Had these politicos known they were being photographed? They didn't seem to be posing much in any of the photos she had seen in Butz' office and maybe they had been drinking too much to care at that point.

The women certainly hadn't looked happy in the photos. Many of them had forced smiles which didn't detract from eyes filled with the futility of their forced servitude. And some of the women in the photographs sitting on the laps of the politicians or with their arms wrapped around them had wound up buried in the desert waiting to be discovered.

"It could be the master blackmailer," Matt said, "but why would he kill the politicians instead of just keep blackmailing them and collecting money?"

"Maybe they threatened to go to the cops," C.J. said, "Maybe blackmailing them was no longer enough."

For the very prominent ones, it would have been hard to pull themselves loose of the blackmail scheme because they had the most to lose but then some of them had no doubt been powerful players and maybe they had help. And maybe they had hired professionals of their own to take out some of the key players in the ring like Piser.

But then again, maybe one of the fleeing women had taken him out after C.J. had struck him unconscious trying to escape. They might never know the truth unless they could find out who had the video and what it had captured.

"I don't know," Stacy said, "How could so many prominent politicians compromise themselves so much?"

C.J. shrugged.

"They think they're above it all," she said, "They think they have a right to use women like that who are coerced into prostitution and have nothing to say about it if they want to live."

Stacy looked up at her.

"So what made you try to break for freedom," she said, "You must have known the penalty was death."

"I couldn't do it," C.J. said, "I didn't want that man to even touch me let alone give that part of myself to these men who would take it. It's for me to decide what to do with my own body."

Stacy nodded.

"But you were kidnapped," she said, "Some of these women saw it as their way to lighter sentences after being arrested."

"It still doesn't make it right and it's an illegal use of police powers either way."

Matt agreed.

"These men will have to pay for what they did to all these women," he said, "I will personally make them pay."

C.J. heard the resolution in his voice and so did Stacy.

"What if they're already paying?"

C.J. knew that could be what got some of them killed but it was very difficult to sort out who killed what person if multiple people each with a different motive were involved in the mix. And at the rate they were going, who would be left standing?

If she hadn't fled with the other women, she'd be dead. Piser would use her body and then they'd toss it aside because they knew she would bring trouble, if not that day than soon enough. When they had seen her, they realized she would have people who cared enough to look for her unlike many of the other women they exploited. In fact, they had drugged her before that party at the ranch and it had only been a rush of adrenalin when Piser attacked her that had released her from the hold of the powerful sedative.

But if some woman or some relative of some woman was going around and picking off one by one the people they believed were responsible for their love one's demise, she couldn't blame them. Part of her wished she could do that herself.

She had wanted to kill Piser but she had wanted to escape even more and that had given him a moment longer to live before someone else did the job.

* * *

She sat on the bed later on after Stacy had left to go write up the story on the attempt on Butz. Matt had turned on the television but not much in the way of details were released about the attempted assassination. Not long after that Rhonda and Fran had shown up after having heard the news themselves.

"Like I said, couldn't happen to a nicer guy," Rhonda muttered.

"Agreed," Fran said, "I wished they'd killed him whoever it was who tried."

C.J. sighed.

"Part of me agrees with you but the other part knows that he might have information that could end this," she said, "if we can force his hand to tell it."

Rhonda looked skeptical.

"How on earth we're going to do that?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "but if he and Piser were blackmailing people, it could be one of them that's responsible and of course, it could be someone like us."

"I'm hoping for the second," Fran said, "That will make me feel better anyway."

Rhonda nodded.

"I'm all for the avenging angel going out and cleaning everything up," she said, "but I know it's probably those involved who are responsible for the murders."

"Could be a tossup," Fran said, shrugging, "As long as someone's killing them off, who cares?"

C.J. heard the pain in the women's voices and understood it but the violence could spill over and easily impact them if they weren't careful as C.J. had discovered in the parking lot. She just wished this whole mess would end so that she could go back to L.A. and rediscover the life she had left there, the one she didn't remember.

Matt looked out the window after hearing what sounded like a siren. A police car with whirling lights drove into the parking lot.

"We've got to get out of here," he said, suddenly.

C.J. looked up and nodded. She looked around the room.

"Get the disk," she said, "We're going to have to find a way to uncover its encryption."

She looked out the window and saw two officers get out of the car and start looking around the parking lot. Were they going to do a door to door canvass, looking for them? Who had tipped them off that they were here?

They headed to the manager's office and that bought them some time to get away. A very short window of time so they had to get a move on. Rhonda and Fran joined them in packing some items up and then heading off to the car.

"Where'd we park?"

Matt looked up at C.J.

"In another lot down the block," he said, "Let's get going before they start heading this way."

The four of them took one look and slipped out the door, into the darkness. They proceeded carefully to the car. And then C.J. looked behind her and saw a man standing about 200 yards away pointing at them suddenly and yelling something.

And with that, they knew their cover was blown and the four of them took off running as fast as they could go.


	45. Chapter 45

Finished with another installment of this story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

As they ran through the parking lot, C.J. just thought it doesn't get more ridiculous than this, the four of them once again trying to elude police. She flashed back to another time in her past when she had been running with Matt from a burning building, having left behind one of his ex-girlfriends who had been dropped right where she sat while talking with them.

That's when she had told him that she loved him. Had he responded back, she couldn't quite remember that part of it but she knew she had meant what she said, but what had pushed the envelope as far as her finally saying them had been the fear that the end of their lives were rushing up to meet them. There were men who had already killed and who would kill again to stop their plot against Matt from being exposed by anyone let alone him and her.

Then there had been pain in the mix somewhere, to her shoulder, a burning pain that seared to the bone. After her breathing had begun to slow and her vision to clear, she had felt it and had blindly sought it with her fingers, which had revealed dripping blood.

"I've been hit…"

That's all she remembered saying but then…no wait she had told him to run back in the building to get some evidence he needed to bring his nightmare to an end. She so much wanted to remove the shadows of fear and uncertainty in his eyes, to bring back the man she knew and had loved most of her life. Damn, their relationship certainly was complicated and she knew probably more so than even she remembered. But not that she loved him enough to risk everything to help him find his own truth including that which eluded his own conscious memories.

And he had been more than willing to do the same for her.

Would history repeat itself and he would be hurt like she had been, would he try to hide it insisting that they couldn't stop until they found the evidence to clear her name this time. Their lives kept moving around in circles and it seemed like every challenge or obstacle they faced, came around again.

Once again, the reality of them running from those in relentless pursuit.

She kept good pace and the four of them, their lungs burning finally reached the car and jumped inside of it. Voices of those who were canvassing sounded louder suddenly and she knew they had been seen.

"Get the car started," Rhonda said, as they all looked behind them.

Matt did just that and after the engine turned over, he drove away, wheels churning up a cloud of dust and the hint of burning rubber. As they pulled away, they saw some uniformed men rushing towards them with flashlights.

The car turned into a wider street as Matt tried to navigate where to go without a plan.

"There's an old house that Louise mentioned," Rhonda said, "It's abandoned and the key's hidden in a flower pot."

C.J. looked at her suddenly.

"How'd you find out about that?"

Even Fran looked surprised.

"You've been holding out on us."

C.J. didn't care how Rhonda found out, she just knew they had to get there so Rhonda gave them directions. It was at the end of a winding dirt road off of another street and it stood there, two stories and it looked deserted. They parked the car in a dirt area behind the nearby barn and got out, noticing that the night had grown quite chilly. Rhonda went to the porch and sure enough, found an old key beneath one of the flower plots. They unlocked the door and gazed inside into the living room, which had furniture covered with tarps.

"There's a generator," she said, "and water comes from a well in the back."

Matt looked out the window into the quiet darkness.

"They won't come looking for us out here," he said, "They probably figure we're hiding out closer into town."

C.J. and the other women uncovered some of the furniture while Matt figured out how to get the generator operating, which rewarded them by lighting up the interior of the house. They kept the shades down so that no one would notice the place was occupied.

"There's some canned stuff that's still good," Fran said, "baked beans, tuna and some corn…among others."

Rhonda sighed.

"I'm starving, but then I'm heading to bed," she said, "We've been running around so much lately."

Matt looked over at C.J. who looked pensive.

"What about you?"

She just looked at him.

"I can't sleep," she said, "but I'm definitely hungry. I'll go work on the stove."

So she went to help the other women cooked up a mixture of baked beans, tuna and some canned vegetables along with some beer they had found stashed in the pantry.

"Wonder who's been drinking that," Fran said.

"Who cares, it will definitely hit the spot," Rhonda responded.

They dined with enthusiasm since they were very hungry though they weren't sure of what they would be doing the next morning. They had to be much more careful now that someone had clearly tipped the police off to their staying at the motel. Maybe the manager…or someone who had seen them but they had narrowly avoided the police and they still had to worry about the bad guys.

"So what's on tap for tomorrow," Rhonda asked, "We're going to find out more about the attempt against Butz?"

"I wish they'd been successful," Fran grumbled, "Like they were with Piser."

C.J. just looked at her plate quietly. Not wanting to think about either of the men right now, wanting just to get away from it all. Imagining what it might be like to return with Matt back to L.A. just as they had flown back from Hawaii after his own nightmare had ended there. If only she remembered more of that life or even how to be. Not to mention how to feel about Matt, the proper dynamic of their longtime friendship rather than what she felt right now.

She looked over at him sitting there eating and she wanted to know how she could return to L.A. and pretend that she didn't want him so much while she acted out the woman she was supposed to be until the day came when she remembered and it all slipped in to place.

That day had to come didn't it, and she had to find a way to fit that role she didn't remember or understand so the people around her would accept her.

"We'll go and find out what Stacy's learned about Butz and the investigation," Matt said, "but we've got to start making some plans of our own."

"Like what," Rhonda said, "We're really on the run now looking over our shoulders for just about everyone."

C.J. certainly felt that but she kept it to herself. Not that feeling under the gun would do her or the others any good but sometimes it just got to her…even more than her inability to remember her old life except in fragments.

"I think that I heard on the TV that the state's senator Gordon Pratchett is coming to give a press conference to launch a new task force."

Matt looked at her.

"We might want to find out what he's about," he said, "Maybe he's actually the key…"

"Or someone showing up at the scene of the crime," C.J. finished.

He nodded.

"In the meantime, we'd better get plenty of sleep tonight," he said, "We're all tired and we're safe here."

C.J. didn't really know if she felt safe anywhere…except with him

She dug around in one of the bedrooms and found some old clothes in the dresser that must have belonged to a young woman at some time. She wore some faded sweats and a tee-shirt and then prepared to hit the sack. She walked out into the bathroom to wash up first.

She heard Rhonda and Fran settling into one of the bedrooms that they had decided to share. C.J. suspected that neither of them really wanted to sleep alone but were unwilling to admit it. She herself wasn't looking forward to lying down and staring up at the dark room, every shadow looking threatening, every sound keeping her on edge.

She just wanted to forget for a little while that they weren't on the run. Like Matt had wanted during his own ordeal.

Leaving the bathroom, she collided with him and he was dressed in his pants but no shirt. She arched an eyebrow.

"You are wearing that to bed?"

"No, I just don't plan on walking the hallways in what I will be wearing."

She nodded slowly, her mouth suddenly becoming dry. After all, she remembered what he had looked like wearing what he usually wore to bed. He stroked her hair and she closed her eyes.

"Houston…"

"It's okay," he said, "I know that you're struggling with this because I've been there myself."

She nodded at that as if a weight had been lifted.

"All I want right now is you," she said, "I know I'm not supposed to in that other life but why can't we just have right now?"

Matt found his resolve weakening because he really had no answer to that so he wrapped his arms around her and his lips met her own in a deepening kiss. She ran her hands through his hair but then he swept her in his arms and took her in the bedroom. He settled her down on her feet and they began undressing each other before they climbed into bed and they marveled in how their bodies molded together as they shut out the world around them, living only for now.

As Matt gazed at her after the unwrapping as he held her, he pushed all thoughts of regret and second guessing aside and she just went with what she felt as she ran her hands over his skin and brought his body closer to her own.

And together, they felt like the only two people left in the world.


	46. Chapter 46

The latest update is up, hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

When they had first met, it had been on a school yard so long ago. They had been two skinny kids in the sixth grade, struggling to find their way in the complex world of elementary school. Matt had plenty of friends but there were days including during recesses on the playground when he kept to himself, still bearing the scars of being kidnapped for ransom at the tender age of five.

Snatched out of his bed one night by the Nightmare Man, a sociopathic kidnapper who Matt realized even years later he would never be able to pick out in a crowd, or a police lineup. His only memories of the man that had terrorized him had been the outline of his shape and the raw timbre of a voice that had known too much alcohol and cigarettes. But as a kid, Matt had pushed that experience from his psyche and out of his dream world too but sometimes, he just didn't want to play with the other kids and as if they understood that something separated him from them, they left him alone during those times.

C.J. hadn't been a part of that world until she moved to Texas after her parents had died one after the other, separated by death only one year. The house that had raised her had been sold at auction, all her family possessions either sold or packed away and put in storage and she had eventually gotten on a plane with her new guardian and had flown away from the endless rows of lush cornfields to the barren plains of Southern Texas. She had lived for a few years on a ranch not too far from Matt's and had gone to school but their paths hadn't crossed much since she and her guardian's family gravitated to a town nearby from the one where Matt lived with his father.

But after finishing fifth grade, she learned that the school she attended would be closing and all its students would be farmed out to other schools in nearby towns and so she began attending school with Matt.

They crossed paths in the playground after she had laid the class bully after he had teased her in front of his crowd that he ruled primarily through fear. She hated using her fists to settle things but no one talked trash about her parents in front of her or anyone else for that matter. After a couple deftly fired punches that hit their marks, the bully had enough and put his hands up to ward her off. She left him there and walked away to continue her walk to the lunch tables to watch a pickup game of stickball.

And that's where she had seen Matt. He had impressed her in class with his smarts, though she noticed he rarely spoke up in class. She on the other hand always had her hand raised, knowing the question to be asked before her teacher finished talking. But the teacher rarely called on her, usually choosing to hear from some boy who would sit there flustered, unable to respond except with some wise crack about the teacher's clothes.

"That test was sure hard," she said, in an attempt to generate some conversation.

He had sat there and looked at her, before nodding.

"My daddy helped me last night with my fractions," he said, "but I don't know if I passed."

She smiled.

"I'm sure you did," she said, "You're a good student."

Matt had smiled back, surprised that she had noticed. She had looked at him and saw a smart kid, with more common sense than older kids but inside his eyes, something else lived, something darker to counter the light that surrounded them.

She didn't know what had put it there until years later when he had confessed to her that he had been afraid of the dark since he was a kid. They had been exploring the abandoned barn just off the property line on a spread that had been owned by a family that lost their property to foreclosure and had just walked away from it before the bank took it. She had been game to go inside and look around but he hadn't and it took a couple questions from her to find out why.

Afterward, she had hugged him just briefly because he had shared that with her and then she had led him in the barn and had shown him that nothing could harm him there. Actually she had shown him that good things could happen in darkness, when she kissed him.

Not much of a kiss really, just a brushing of her lips against his but his heart had skipped a bit anyway and so had hers.

They had gone their separate ways in high school because his father had decided to send him to a private military academy that his cousin, Will attended. C.J. had gone to the local public school and had focused on her academics when she hadn't been working on the ranch.

And three years later, she had graduated as the class valedictorian, giving the farewell speech. Matt had graduated sooner and he sat in the back of the crowded football stadium, blown away by the sight in front of him.

Like him, his best friend had grown up. They had gone to college where he had been a star football player leading his team to victory in one of the most memorable Cotton Bowls on record while she had joined a sorority, handled a double major and applied to different law schools with her heart set only on one of them, Harvard School of Law.

Julia, not Matt had been there when her acceptance letter had arrived but when she told him, he had been very happy for her and proud.

"When you finish up law school," he said, "You're going to come work with me."

It hadn't even been a question, just a statement of fact. Matt had ambitions of his own to move away from his father's tremendous shadow of accomplishment and earn his own way in the world. She knew he'd be successful because after all, he did well at everything he had ever attempted. Whether it was winning sports titles, making friends, charming the women around him, he did it all well.

And she had gone to work with him, sailed through her interview and had worked her way up the ladder pretty quickly to help him run his burgeoning conglomerate that soon spread to all corners of the world. They had also filled their days with running Matt's investigative firm, something they decided to do full-time a year or so ago. And that had been very successful as well. But although their friendship had only grown stronger, richer during the years they spent together, they had never been romantically involved. He had his relationships with many women and she had her relationships with different men. Both had been engaged and both had lost people they loved to tragic deaths along with also having relationships broken off because of their commitment to their work and each other.

The friendship which their significant others hadn't really understand and that's one of many reason why their relationship outlasted their romances.

Okay, once in a while, they had flirted with those boundaries. They had locked lips a handful of times including that memorable moment after the frog jumping contest, but she knew when he teased her afterward that it had meant more to her than it did to him.

And that's what ultimately had kept her from trying again, because a part of her, a big part, did want him to love her…that way. Not that she would ever admit that to him, no way, because he'd try to break the awkward moment that would arise from such a confession with a quirky raise of his brow or a joke.

The part of her that still remembered this struggled to surface, through the more elemental part of her that had savored every moment she spent in his embrace. Her heart had raced when he had kissed her, her skin formed goose pimples as his callused fingers ran over it, caressing her in ways that warmed her insides. When he slipped her clothes off of her in that skillful way of his that came from plenty of practice, yet when he had seen her unwrapped for the first time, he looked as if he were truly seeing something new. It had been even better when she had looked at him, finally seeing the parts of him hidden when he soaked in his Jacuzzi without a stitch of clothing on.

When their bodies had joined together, it seemed as if they were almost meant to…but a part of her that remained hidden still questioned it. The pleasure that she had felt and the love that couldn't be expressed any other way, overrode any rationale. He didn't seem ruled by such indecision in his own actions, once he realized that he couldn't stop the tide between them and that he didn't want to stop it.

Afterward, they slept, wrapped in each other's arms, the perspiration drying. But before she had finally drifted off, she heard that voice of hers again saying that it had never been this way.

Because it had been against some list of rules that they had agreed upon at some time she couldn't remember. But she knew that they had done that.

Morning broke through the window pane, and wove the patterns of its design on their bodies as they slept. C.J. woke first and tried to focus her eyes, and for the first time, things became more sharply defined. First the outlines of the furniture in the room began to be filled in and then the clock which read that it was 7 a.m.

Then to the man laying beside her, the man that had been her best friend, the one who shared all those memories with her since they were both in elementary school.

The man she had looked at with wanting but had never thought to touch. Because they had agreed in some fashion that it wasn't to be…anything but friendship.

She swallowed noisily as she realized that the only cover he had was a sheet wrapped around his waist and as for her…

Oh this felt a little bit like how Eve must have felt after she had bitten the forbidden fruit and gained awareness. Then it all came back to her in a blinding rush, the rushing adrenalin of the past several weeks in the backdrop of a much longer life. Her eyes widened as she realized what had just passed between them and how he might react upon waking to see her.

Would all the fears that had suddenly returned to mind come to pass, would their friendship be jeopardized?

And then she realized too that at that point, she didn't care. She just wanted the passion that they had shared, that had always been there, one movement away.

Still she sank back on the bed next to the man she loved so much, as it suddenly hit her. And then she realized that the movement that she felt next to her skin had been his own awakening.

She braced herself for that, and what would happen next.


	47. Chapter 47

Here's another update of this FF. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading!

* * *

C.J. looked around the room, her eyes still adjusting to the light. And what she saw lying next to her made her pull her portion of the bed sheet closer around her body.

Lying sprawled out asleep on the bed, his hand resting on her waist was Matt, the man who she had known most of her life. They had gone to school together as kids, grown up on ranches close to one another and now they…now they…wait some clarity, a new barrage of memories rushed into her mind, one right after the other in relentless fashion, as reality had traveled with the dawn.

And the picture these visions painted was…oh no absolutely no. They were business partners, they had worked together, they had spent time together but they had never, no they had definitely never slept together. Well at least not like they now lay in bed without a stitch of clothing on, their bodies intertwined in such an intimate way.

But when she tried to extricate her body gently away from the man who still had reached for it in his slumber, he moved also, closer towards her. This wasn't working very well but she had to get away, she definitely had to get out of this bed with him because…well because they just weren't like this, they had never been like this except…

They had been like this before…just not very long ago. Maybe a couple of days or a couple of more days on top of that? Oh she definitely had to get out of here and think about what to do next…before he woke up. Yes, that would be good and while thinking she would come up with some solutions because now she remembered she had been great at solving problems as an Ivy League trained attorney, one who had been a practicing lawyer for about five years.

She just had to get out of here…yes before…

"C.J…"

She turned suddenly and Matt's eyes had popped open. She pulled away from him then pulling her sheet around herself. If she did that fast enough, he wouldn't see her…oh wait it was a bit too late for that, she remembered.

And how she remembered what had happened the night before.

His hands on her body stroking her skin, her hands on his while they had kissed and had forgotten about the rest of the world for a while. And it had been wonderful to forget the little that she had remembered about her life and just live for the moment spent in his arms. To be loved by the only man who hadn't abused her in the short span of her life she did recall.

And that's when it hit her, that she did love him. She had told him that one time when she had been so sure they were about to die inside that abandoned building because the cover they had taken couldn't protect them for more than a few final minutes. He hadn't said much and when they hadn't died after all…well she had buried her feelings for him and had moved on back into the role of his faithful best friend and business associate, as if it had never happened.

But once words were said, they couldn't be taken back. Still after ending his life on the run, Matt had rushed back into the dating arena; eager to shed himself of that nightmare by doing normal things…and face it, dating a series of attractive women was about as normal for him as anything. She hadn't been hurt by that, not really, so glad was she to have him back safely, his mind intact after the intensive brainwashing.

She had moved on herself headlong into a whirlwind relationship with Robert, who really hadn't struck her fancy at all when the three of them had been in college years earlier. But when he had returned to L.A. to take a low key anchor position, he had been all she could think about once she had laid eyes on him again. So infatuated she had been, she hadn't suspected he had been keeping anything from her let alone that he had kidnapped and murdered his way up the career ladder.

And when she had found out, when her best friend had told her, she had refused to believe it and had threatened to resign, walking out the door on him and everyone else.

"How long have you been awake," he asked.

She smiled at him because she knew that he would never hurt her, unless it was to protect her from greater pain down the road. He had told her the bad news about Robert and then had waited for her to figure out what she had to do with it on her own, giving her plenty of space. He had risked breaking up their friendship, while looking out for her. And then when she had returned after a sleepless night to make peace, he had simply embraced her and had comforted her.

"Not long…"

He had looked at her in front of him and had sensed the difference in her immediately. The woman looking at him now, her wavy hair framing her face was the woman he had known since he was a child, who had grown up alongside him.

"You remember…"

She nodded, still keeping the sheet around her and some distance between the two of them and what they had shared.

"Yeah I do…"

He knew better than to reach for her right now, which he knew wasn't what she needed, what she needed was time and space to sort through the myriad of memories and the emotions they invoked rushing through her right now. Her posture had grown more rigid and her eyes, warier.

"I guess we'd better get dressed," she said, "You want to use the shower first?"

He looked at her for a moment.

"No, why don't we let ladies go first?"

She smiled at that, and carefully reached for something to wrap around her while she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She just wanted to get away, far away from him right now, while his instinct had been to get closer…but he knew now wasn't the time.

When she closed the door that stood between them, she let her emotions go and while running the water, she fought to keep the tears from flowing. God, how could she have…but she couldn't blame herself or him, she hadn't remembered their life or the perimeters of their relationship. Shouldn't he have…no she couldn't blame him either. It was too late to do anything but try to navigate their way through this very difficult situation that had arisen between them.

They had been friends, best friends; forever…somehow they would find a way to make it right.

* * *

Later they ate some breakfast, alone while Rhonda and Fran still slept in their rooms. Matt had cooked some eggs after showering and C.J. had scrambled and found some coffee. She sat at the table opposite from him eating her breakfast quietly.

"C.J…"

She looked up suddenly.

"Yes?"

"About last night…"

She shook her head while she swallowed her eggs.

"I can't really talk about that now," she said, "I might remember who I am, mostly but I'm still wanted by the FBI for murder."

"Okay…so what do you want to do next then?"

He had apparently agreed to shelve any discussions about the night they spent together, okay two nights, and the impact it might have on their friendship. But she knew he'd be returning back to that topic when this situation, this nightmare she had faced was over.

She thought about it.

"I think when the others wake up and get some breakfast," she said, "We should head back into town and regroup with Sheila."

Just like that, she had become all business.

"Sounds like a plan."

She nodded and picked up their dishes taking them to the kitchen. As she stood over the sink, she just dropped them in there.

"Where's the soap?"

Suddenly he stood behind her.

"It's under the sink I think."

She thought of course and went to find it and then prepared the soapy water to wash their dishes. She did that and he rinsed and set them in a rack to dry.

"It's going to be okay," he said.

She knew he wasn't talking about the work they still needed to do so that they could return back to L.A.

"I wish I could be as sure about that as you are Houston," she said, "but why do I feel like I've lost my best friend?"

He rested his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. '

"You'll never lose me," he said, "and who knows, maybe we'll share something even better."

"We already did," she said, quietly.

He couldn't agree with her any more than he did but he knew he was treading on egg shells here. And it was never more important for him to be graceful with his steps.

"Okay so that's a start…"

"Houston…."

He looked her directly in the eye.

"I'm not closing the door on anything," he said, "Not our friendship and not anything more than that."

She sighed, not wanting to argue with him right now when just being herself again felt so new to her.

"We'll see…."

That was all she could say even though she knew he wanted her to say more but she couldn't…so she just walked away and left him alone in the kitchen.


	48. Chapter 48

I'm done with another installment, I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading!

* * *

Matt had watched her walk away from him and stayed in the kitchen. He knew that a rush of emotions had hit here after she had woken up next to him with her memories back. But he wasn't going to lie to her and deny that he had just spent one of the best nights of his life. No way, he could do that because even now he remembered how it had felt to hold her, and when they kissed…well that hadn't been a memory he would quickly forget. If he had his way, they'd still be there enjoying the morning and discovering new things about each other.

Still, he could park his hormones long enough to realize that this had to be difficult for her, to have spent the night with him as a woman devoid of the context of their lifelong friendship and then have woken up feeling like someone else. But he felt more than just attracted to his friend, it had meant much more than that the time they had spent together.

But where would they move on from there? She was still on the FBI's Most Wanted List for being linked to the death of a renowned member of Arizona's State Board of Corrections. A man who had been painted as a passionate advocate for prison reform of all things, married to a daughter of a state assemblyman with two small kids. Matt doubted he ever saw much of his family that had appeared on campaign brochures when he had made an unsuccessful run for higher office, because after all, he was too busy exploiting women with the rest of the prostitution ring.

If C.J. had killed Semour, Matt wouldn't have blamed her for that. After all the man had tried to force her into having sex with him and had then exploded into rage when she had tried to fight him. If he had still been alive and walking around right now, Matt would have gladly taken him aside and taught him a thing or two about treating women. But someone else had taken advantage of C.J.'s flight and had shot the man to death and now three women including C.J. were being framed for that killing. Not to mention that the death of this loathsome man was getting more attention from the law enforcement agencies and local politicians than the discovery of the unmarked graves of an unknown number of women who had been killed by the men who ran the operation.

C.J. could have easily been one of them and it could have been her body that had been discovered…Matt swallowed just thinking about it.

"You are cooking breakfast?"

Matt looked up and saw Fran walking in the kitchen.

"There are plenty of fixings," he said, "C.J. and I already ate."

She went to go start making some scrambled eggs.

"Rhonda's just behind me," she said, "That girl sure can snore."

Matt just looked outside of the kitchen where C.J. had gone. Fran noticed that and smiled as she cracked some eggs into a bowl\

"She left awfully quickly, I passed her on the way here," Fran noted, "What did you say to her?"

Matt just remained silent, not wanting to talk about it as his own mind still reeled from what had happened.

"I'm going to go check on the information we're going to bring to Sheila when we meet up with her."

She put her hand gently on his arm.

"Look…whatever it is that happened," she said, "I'm sure you can work it out between you. You've been friends all your life right?"

Fran made it sound so simple but Matt knew it was anything but, he and C.J. had breached the boundaries of their friendship and she knew that now, and clearly hadn't been able to deal with it. Even to really talk over it with him.

"Yeah we have..."

She smiled.

"Then don't let what happened come between that."

He looked at her puzzled, wondering how much of it that she knew. She read his look.

"Oh on my way to the bathroom, I saw her leave your room this morning," Fran said, "She didn't see me."

"Oh."

She sighed.

"Well you and her have a long history together and everything's so crazy right now, running from the law and Butz' men," Fran said, "Maybe being with you seemed like the right place to be."

Matt considered that but she had wanted him for more reasons than just security before she remembered her life.

"Everything's so complicated," he said, "at the worst possible time but I wouldn't change it."

He left Fran there in the kitchen and she watched him, wondering if he realized the depth of his feelings for his best friend.

* * *

C.J. packed up her things, to prepare to leave for their meeting with Sheila. Damn, she hoped today would be the breakthrough they needed to bring this nightmare to an end, to finally be able to put it behind them so they could return home.

Back to L.A. and the life she had left there with her best friend.

When she had taken off from her road trip seeking adventure, she had no idea what lie ahead of her. If she did, she probably would have taken the Lear Jet like Matt had advised but now that she had faced more danger and uncertainty in the past few days, she knew that if it hadn't been for Matt…

And now she had just walked out on him, so caught up in her own confusion over the way she had felt for him before she left for Santa Fe and the way she felt about him now. But then maybe, these strong feelings that went beyond platonic friendship had always been there lying in wait to surface at just the right time under the right circumstances. She just hadn't known it would take amnesia to get there.

Not that they were anywhere but where they had started except for a night, well two nights of sex between them, and that awkwardness this morning when she finally remembered. She hadn't meant to hurt him with her reaction to finding out who she was and that something had irrevocably changed between them. Something that couldn't be taken back and she didn't even wanted that.

But what did she want? She wanted to return back home to her life working on investigations with Matt, handling legal cases in court and to see her friends again. As for her and Matt, something deep inside her wanted to continue what had just been started but a larger part of her rejected that notion. She and Matt had never been meant to be anymore than the closest of friends and if her recent actions had damaged that relationship, then she had to repair it.

But how, she thought burying her head in her hands. She couldn't think about the meeting today when she most needed to, when her survival and that of the others including Matt must come first. One misstep or moment of hesitation then the one step they kept ahead of those who pursued them both from the right and wrongs sides of the law would bring them closer to capture or death.

Matt walked in on her then and she looked up at him, and she felt her eyes sting. He looked at her as if nothing mattered except how she felt about where they stood with each other. She just looked at him biting her lip to suppress any tears. He took that as a sign to move in closer, sitting on the bed next to her, listening to the springs of the mattress squeak beneath him. He had to fight himself to keep from wrapping her up in his embrace but somehow he knew that wasn't what she needed right now. So he used his voice instead.

"C.J…it's going to be okay."

She just looked up at him, so unsure. It had been a horrendous couple of weeks for her and an end didn't seem to be in sight.

"It just doesn't end," she said, "and I try to find the point where it will all be over and we can go home."

He lightly stroked her hair.

"We'll get there C.J.," he said, "and we'll head on home to our family and friends and we'll figure this all out."

She shrugged slightly.

"I don't know what to figure out," she said, "Last night…was more wonderful than I could have ever thought…and you…I can't even describe it."

He smiled.

"That good huh," he said.

She hit his arm.

"Don't let it go to your head," she said, "But I'm not sure what I want…our friendship means everything to me but…"

"What we shared means a lot too," He finished, "and it arose from that friendship."

She considered that and nodded slowly.

"Okay I can see that," she said, "But that's all I can promise right now."

He looked at her and knew she struggled even with that so he let it go for now and gave her that space. Her face changed and she got up off the bed.

"We'd better get ready to meet her," she said, "You have what's on the disk?"

He nodded.

"Rhonda and Fran are eating breakfast," he said, "When they're done, we'll get a move on."

"Okay, that sounds like a plan," she said, looking at him.

He read what was on her face and this time he moved towards her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. And he stood there as she wept and he just held her.

"I love you," she finally said.

He closed his own eyes.

"I know…I always did."


	49. Chapter 49

The latest installment of this FF is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

Now that the two of them had cleared the air between them about their complicated relationship which she had finally remembered, the two of them waited for Rhonda and Fran to finish eating so they could take off to meet Shelia.

Matt had called the reporter and she said that the diner would probably be the safest place because the waitresses would keep their lips zipped and the police had pretty much abandoned the motel to instead find another way to do absolutely nothing to bust the major players that had to be out there in the prostitution ring.

"We're done," Rhonda said coming into the living area.

Matt had just gotten off the phone and C.J. had been sitting there waiting, ready to leave their safe house and drive into the hornet's nest. Matt gestured to the women.

"Come on, let's get going."

Rhonda and Fran looked around the house.

"Will we be coming back?"

Matt considered that and nodded.

"Most likely and if for some reason we get split up, try to make your way back here as soon as you're sure you're not being followed."

Fran and Rhonda looked at each other and nodded and they all headed out to the car. Matt searched for C.J.'s hand and took it in his own, interlacing his fingers with hers. She smiled up at him as they walked out to the car, feeling much better than she had in a long time.

"So did we miss anything," Rhonda asked.

C.J. sighed, deciding to only update her partially.

"I got most of my memories back."

Both women's eyes widened.

"That's great," Rhonda said, "but it must be a trip to be a different woman than you were yesterday."

Yeah, C.J. thought, that would be a great word to describe it, especially her morning after moments with her best friend. The two of them definitely had a lot to figure out about what was happening between them. But in the meantime, they had to focus on deciding what to do next to put this experience behind them so they could go back to L.A. together to address the thornier parts of what had happened the past couple weeks since she had been on the run.

After all, this was somewhat different when he had been framed for murder and she had been the one helping him as much as she could even when a bullet split them up.

They all got in the car and Matt started the engine and they drove into town towards their meeting with Shelia. The traffic appeared light and the parking lot outside the diner had only a few cars. Matt parked the car somewhat down the street and all of them got out.

Shelia waited for them inside the diner at a booth in the back section. She looked up at them and smiled brightly.

"Good morning, I heard you had an eventful night."

Matt and C.J. looked at each other.

"With the police out looking for you and calling in the FBI again," she said, "Butz is recovering from his brush with death and insisting that there is a gang of women on a murderous spree."

Somehow that didn't surprise Matt, from the picture he was getting of the sheriff. No doubt, he was trying to divert attention away from his own illegal deeds or perhaps away from the higher players in his operation. But he wondered how long that Butz would remain the loyal subordinate or if enough squeeze could be put on him to get him to blow the whistle on them.

"While he's talking has he said anything about the murders," Matt asked, "the ones involving the women found in the desert?"

Shelia shrugged.

"You know he's not going to go there," she said, "It's going to be all about him being maligned unfairly by the same justice system he served for decades. Risking his life out on the streets and all that…"

"The riskiest thing he ever did was to serve a traffic ticket," Rhonda said, rolling her eyes.

"He did say he's charging C.J. here with assault," Shelia said, "She slapped him."

C.J. sighed.

"Yeah when he tried to get into my pants and I didn't want it."

Shelia shook her head.

"Sounds like our boy," she said, "He was bad back when he was just a deputy I heard."

"Doesn't surprise me," Rhonda muttered, "Guy's a charmer."

"So what's next," Shelia asked, "Any major plans to call a press conference or something?"

Fran rolled her eyes.

"There's been way too many of those for such a small town."

Suddenly Louise dropped by their booth with a fresh pot of coffee to serve them. But she dropped her voice down to a whisper.

"Guess who just dropped in," she said, "The sheriff himself."

They all looked up to see Butz there slapping flesh with the waitresses and the busboys not to mention the customers as if he were running for election again. Surely, he must know that whatever political future lay ahead of him crashed and burned when this scandal began to break. But no, Butz had a smile across his face and was actually handing out campaign buttons obviously not the worse for his scare the other night.

"Hey sheriff is it true that you murdered those women…"

A customer dining on a hamburger and fries had tried to get his attention with that statement and the sheriff just waved his hand on dismissal and walked on by.

Louise shook her head.

"I think I'm going to puke…excuse me."

She walked away and C.J. felt badly for her and she felt anger build up inside her. She got up out of her seat and walked towards the sheriff. Matt tried to stop her.

"C.J…"

But she just kept moving towards him until he looked at her.

"What you doing here girlie," he said, "Aren't you supposed to be locked up somewhere?"

"No, actually Butz, you're the one who's supposed to be locked up."

He chuckled.

"We both know that's not going to happen," he said, "and I know you didn't kill Semour but the real killer's sure in a hurry to see you go down for it."

"You wish…no I think you're the one that's going down on conspiracy charges for murdering who knows how many women, kidnapping, sexual assault…"

He grinned then.

"You're counting our little slap and tickle on the couch," he said, "Honey that was no crime. You just needed a guy to show you how to loosen up a bit, have a good time."

She didn't feel like talking then at least not with words. Clenching her fist as hard as she could, she swung it back and then punched the sheriff on the jaw. His eyes bobbled and then shock lined his face.

"Why you…"

Not much else to say before he fell on the floor with a thud. Matt jumped out of his seat followed by Rhonda.

"Damn you sure can lay a punch," Rhonda said, "You should take up boxing."

C.J. sighed, rubbing her sore hand.

"I think I'd rather get out of here."

Matt looked around as people began to jolt themselves out of their stupor and react to what just happened.

He took her hand and they turned around with the other two women to head on out of the diner. Several hefty men tried to follow them but Louise and another waitress stepped into your path.

"You're not leaving without paying your tab," Louise said, "and a 20% gratuity."

One man's eyes widened.

"That's highway robbery," he said, "We only have to leave you 15%."

Louise shook her head.

"Nope, it's an extra five for leaving us with your friend to clean up."

Matt grabbed C.J.'s hand and they headed back to the car. Shelia called to them.

"Where are we heading," she asked.

Matt thought about it.

"We're going to drop in on the mayor…"

Shelia frowned.

"He's just back in town from a conference in Phoenix," she said, "We've got a photo session planned with him today."

Matt sighed.

"Well I think he must know what's going on in his own town."

Shelia shrugged.

"He's not around much," she said, "He hobnobs with the rich and famous in the capitol and charges it all to the taxpayers."

They all got in their respective cars to head to Town Hall.

Matt drove up the main thoroughfare toward the Town Hall which housed what passed for local government in this messed up corner of Arizona. There was plenty of space to park in the lot and after picking a spot, they got out of the car and walked up the steps.

A clerk tried to stop them.

"This is a public building," Fran reminded her, "You can't keep the people who pay for it out."

The clerk folded her arms.

"Mayor Floyd is in a very important meeting," she said.

But they rushed past her and walked towards where Shelia's camera crew had been waiting at a closed door to his office.

"What's going on here," Shelia asked.

The cameraman shrugged.

"He's in a business meeting."

Matt pushed past them and opened the door into the office. A tall man with dark hair sat there, lip locking with a redheaded woman.

"What the…"

Shelia shook her head.

"Some business meeting…"

The group of them walked into the room while Floyd pushed the redhead away and told her to mail the letter he had just dictated. She nodded hastily and tucking her blouse in her skirt, she left the office in a hurry. Floyd then turned towards them.

"What brought out such a rude interruption," he said, "I told Helen to keep any unwanted people…."

He eyed the women.

"Particularly a nosy reporter and a trio of homicidal hookers," he finished.

Oh, there were some women there who wanted to take a swing at him and Matt glanced sideways at C.J. but she just stood there with her arms folded. He stepped forward and grabbed the mayor by his lapel and then turned to slam him against the wall.

"We're here to meet with you because we believe that after a lengthy investigation, you know more than you've told the police."

The man's eyes widened.

"You're insane," he said, "I'm the one who asked for the investigation into Butz and Semour and their cozy operation…even after they tried to stop you."

Matt let him go after a moment and Floyd grabbed the chair to keep from toppling over.

"Stop you how?"

Floyd didn't answer at first but opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a thick manila envelope.

"With these…"

Matt picked up the envelope and pulled out some photos. Rhonda peered at them and her eyes widened.

"Wow…you've been very busy reaching out to some of your female constituents."

Floyd glared at them.

"So I went to a couple of the parties at the ranch," he said, "But I felt after a few times…"

"Where you had your fun," Fran said, "At a woman's expense…."

He just shrugged.

"Any way, I felt like it was a terrible sin I had committed so I talked it over with my pastor and he said that I had to do my part to make amends and that meant going public but…"

Matt put the photos back in the envelope.

"You were sent these."

Floyd nodded.

"I couldn't go forward then," he said, "I mean I've got a wife and kids and a dog and I'm running for office next year."

Shelia's arms were folded.

"Oh yeah as the guy who went door to door with a broom and promised to sweep up the corruption in Bannon County," she said, "I think you're going to need a new slogan, one that actually fits."

He bowed his head.

"I really wanted to do the right thing," he said, "I just couldn't risk exposure. Surely you understand."

C.J. just looked at him.

"Not really…do you know there are dozens of dead women who are out in that desert?"

Floyd sighed.

"I know they found some…remains, mostly bones."

"That's because they lay there in shallow graves for years until they were found," C.J. continued, "I almost wound up there, I would have if I hadn't escaped."

He nodded.

"Oh yeah, you're the one who killed the state corrections guy."

She shook her head.

"No, I knocked him out when he tried to force me to have sex with him," she said, "Someone else pulled the trigger."

"A likely story," Floyd said, "but it wouldn't be surprising if someone else did kill him and try to kill our sheriff the other day."

Matt stepped closer to him and Floyd must have thought he would grab him.

"Now we're not going to leave until you tell us who you think that might be," he said, "The person who's going out and cleaning up the prostitution ring by taking out its players…"

Floyd stammered but then he cleared his throat and they waited to listen.


	50. Chapter 50

Another FF installment up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

"You know what that means don't you," Matt said, "It means that the real killer might come looking for you."

Floyd gulped, clearly not thinking very clearly.

"Why would they come after me?"

"Oh because you know too much about their operation and who's in charge of it," Matt said, "and you hold a position of considerable power."

"Of which you've mostly abused," Rhonda noted.

Fran folded her arms.

"Yeah, this might be a good time to come clean to your constituents and maybe do what you promised which was to clean up this town."

Floyd pulled at his collar because after all, when he had picked that slogan for his successful election campaign, the consultant who hired had said it would make him look good to the voters. He hadn't actually meant it had he? Well maybe a little bit when he had been thinking about running after the last mayor had died of a heart attack in well…the middle of a party at Piser's ranch house.

"It's too dangerous…I can't do it."

Rhonda leaned closer.

"Why not," she said, "as it is now, your political career is on the line if anyone finds out about your partying."

He pursed his lips.

"They can't connect me…except through some photos," he said, "Besides, anyone who's out killing the players will have to eliminate quite a few people if they're at the top working their way downward."

Matt furrowed his brow.

"It sounds like the killing's just random," he said, "I don't think any kingpins except maybe Piser have been murdered yet though someone did go after Butz."

Floyd shrugged.

"He had many enemies," he said, "He's the sheriff."

Fran sighed.

"He was too busy messing up our lives to make anyone else upset."

C.J. looked around the room and saw photos on the walls in between book shelves and an award or two that this man had either earned or bought. From what she had heard about him, he hadn't accomplished very much.

"I can tell you this…that I am just as eager to see these sociopaths go down as you are," he muttered, "I've had enough of them threatening me through telling my family…"

"The truth about you," Fran asked, "Maybe they need to know."

Floyd looked unhappy with that observation.

"I love my family…really I do…I just slipped…"

"You fell flat on your ass," Rhonda continued, "and all of you are going to pay for that and what you did to us."

C.J. felt the anger and the hurt in the woman's voice, and she knew she felt similar. She still wanted to get back at Piser for what he had done and someone had done that for her.

"Yeah well if you're turning over a new leave," she said, "What does that mean exactly, you call a press conference …you could, because the press is here."

Floyd gulped again, remembering that his political career was on the ropes here. And his handler was nowhere to be seen or heard even though he paged him. That left him to handle this hostile crowd of invaders on his own.

"Listen here, I could call the police…"

C.J. folded her arms.

"They'll be very interested in questioning you after they're through with us."

Fran nodded.

"I remember you at those parties," she said, "You looked like you were having your fun like the rest of the johns."

"But…"

"No, you're going to go down like the rest of them," Fran said, "Enough women have died already because of men like you."

Rhonda nodded.

"Yeah why don't you find a way to use that on your campaign slogan?"

Floyd looked from one woman to the other but they all looked unfriendly.

"But…"

Fran didn't look sympathetic.

"No more buts, you're going to have to do the right thing…"

Suddenly, Matt who had been standing by the window saw a glint of reflected light from the building next door. He turned to face the others.

"Get on the floor…"

The women did it without any further prompting but Floyd just sat at his desk confused, and Matt waved his arm at him.

"That means you."

Floyd tried to struggle out of his chair and managed to collapse on the floor taking a trail of papers with him as the glass shattered behind him and bullets pierced the wall instead of his body. C.J. lay on the ground listening to the bullets striking nearby and she placed her hands over her head to shield herself further. Definitely thinking she lived a crazy life whether she remembered it or not.

Finally the shooting stopped and they all looked around at the bullet riddled walls and some broken knickknacks lying on the floor. Matt sat up and looked over at Floyd.

"Looks like you're some kind of player after all."

C.J. knew that the killer had been trying to eliminate the players in the prostitution ring but at least they couldn't pin this attempted assassination on the three women who had after all, perfect alibis finally. Now maybe the police could drop this dragnet hunting them down and start looking for the real killer for a change including the men responsible for killing all the women who lay out in the desert.

That might be refreshing for a change and it would bring them closer to going home. The place she wanted to be more than anything, to just slip into her life that she had thought had been lost to her forever and to figure out what was happening between her and Matt.

Not necessarily in that order.

"What in the hell was that," Floyd asked.

Matt looked at the shards of glass still left on the window.

"Someone who clearly wanted you dead," he said, "Now can you help us figure out who that might be?"

Floyd just looked confused.

"I have no idea," he said, "Naturally as mayor of this town, I attract my share of them but none I can think of offhand that would shoot me."

"Well you'd better think harder because he might not miss next time."

Floyd nodded, slowly because if they hadn't been here, in all likelihood, he'd be splattered all over his desk. He picked up the phone to call the sheriff before he remembered who might have been blackmailing him.

"He's not going to tell us anything," C.J. said, "Are you Mayor Floyd?"

He shook his head mutely.

"We'd better get going," Matt said, "but if I were you, I'd think long and hard about protecting people including those who might be trying to kill you."

"I'll take that under advisement."

They left the office, now in worse shape than when they had arrived but the cameraman stayed behind to get some parting shots including for the evening's podcast.

Shelia followed them out.

"You're just going to let him off the hook like that?"

C.J. turned towards her.

"We can't torture him," she said, "So there's not much we can do to get him to spill his information."

Shelia nodded thoughtfully.

"We can embarrass him in the next edition of the newspaper," she said, "I'll write up an expose on Floyd including all his past transgressions…of course that might take up more than one issue."

Rhonda's eyes rolled.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

* * *

They left the building even while some police rushed past them to deal with the attempted assassination of the mayor. Too focused in what they were doing to pay much attention to the three women departing who were on the Most Wanted list.

"Geez, we're lucky they weren't paying attention," Rhonda muttered.

"I think we need to look for the next suspect…or next target," Matt said, as they reached the car.

"Why not the city attorney," C.J. asked, "He must be involved in it somehow."

Matt considered that.

"It's possible…I think he's in the building at the end of the street."

"Let's get going then…"

So they decided to leave their car parked where it was and they headed over there on foot. They ran into Sheila who had her cameraman in tow.

"Where you heading," she asked.

"To the city attorney's office…"

She frowned.

"He's usually not in this time a day," she said, "He's usually getting a martini at the men's club."

"Where's that, because we really have to see him," C.J. asked.

"It's a block away…but women aren't allowed inside."

C.J. shrugged.

"We're just going to have to forget about that," she said, "Who's going to stop us?"

Shelia shrugged, thinking that either way it might make a great story, right next to the assassination attempt on Floyd.

So they headed on down there and as they reached the entrance, they saw a bunch of men bolting from different entrances of the building.

"What's going on here," Fran asked.

Shelia looked at the sight and went into reporter mode, issuing orders to her cameraman to line up the best shots.

A man who looked like one of the deputies working for Butz sprinted on by until Matt grabbed him suddenly.

"What's just happened," Matt demanded.

The man stared at him, as if not sure what he was looking at.

"There's just been a bomb threat," he said, "So we're evacuating what else?"

People stopped coming out of the building and then a deathly silence filled the air as everyone watched the building to see what would happen next, waiting for the blast to hit.

It didn't disappoint as a boom shook the ground and the place turned into a huge fireball as everyone just stood there watching it.

* * *

Later, they gathered in the diner to plan their next move, once again feeling stuck because every where they went, gunfire followed and now a building had just blown up. The state had to rush an expert's team to collect evidence on the explosive device used. Clearly the intent hadn't been to kill the Men's club members because why the phoned in bomb threat, giving those inside time to evacuate?

No, another plot was at work here and they still had no idea what.

"This is just getting crazy," Rhonda said, shaking her head.

"Absolutely," Fran said, "I think we should just assume this whole town is in on it. After all, all the politicians are crooks."

C.J. just sat next to Matt, wishing they were anywhere but here as long as they were together. Louise came to give them their menus.

"Did you hear…?"

They looked at her at once.

"The city attorney's just called a press conference," she said, "It's going to be on live."

"I wonder what he's going to say…considering he nearly got blown to kingdom come," Rhonda asked.

"We'll have to wait and see…"

But as it turned out, they didn't have to wait long because Shelia had come into join them and with her, was a harried man with salt and pepper hair and soot marks on his face, which turned out to be the city attorney.

Shelia smiled at them.

"He's given me an exclusive interview and I want you all to watch…"


	51. Chapter 51

Finished another update to this FF, hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

C.J. lay in bed inside the abandoned house and watched him sleep for a little while. She had been unable to slip into slumber as easily herself because she had so much on her mind. How easy was it for men to just put aside everything that had been happening that day and what filled their minds to find respite in sleep.

Not as easy for her.

The interview with the city attorney who had nearly been blown up at the men's only club hadn't really illuminated as much as they had hoped. The man had been more concerned about his own political career and future given that he had aspirations of running for state attorney general and wasn't about to let this whole mess with the prostitution ring and its players not to mention a bunch of dead lowlife women lost in the desert derail his own path.

C.J. had wanted to smack him in the face or worse after listening to his sleazy attitude. Fran had remembered at that point that the attorney had showed up at an earlier party and the girl he had chosen for himself had torn loose from the group and had tried to run away. Carrie, her name had been, some blond girl who had been picked up for hitch hiking and dragged down to the detention center. She had been caught quickly enough because she hadn't been able to run far in her high heels which had been part of the costume all of them had been required to wear at least partly for that reason. The deputy had dragged her in front of them kicking and screaming while Butz had told them to handle her as they had all the other runaways and Piser had led the other politicians and their dates of the day back to the swimming pool where the music played and the booze overflowed.

Carrie had never been seen again but they all knew where her body lay right now. Maybe not that far from Roxie or Emily or Sarah or the other women who at least had names right now. Matt had looked over at her just then and seen the expression on her face, the one he knew very well because it came from the woman that he had known most of his life every much as it had come from the one he had only known about a week. The two sides of the same person at least had that in common, a hatred for the men responsible all of them that ran so deeply. Matt wondered not for the first time if out there, there was a woman or women who could take that loathing to the next level and turn vigilante. He knew that C.J. had found herself just in time because the woman whose life had been for the most part shaped by that one experience of being a prostitute for hire had been closing in on that type of action herself.

But she remained quiet for the most part, her arms folded but her eyes fixed on the latest man they had learned about that had been victimizing women. Until she had enough of his attitude and walked out into the parking lot, alone. Shelia had finished her interview with him and a few minutes later Matt had come out to join her knowing that she needed some time to collect her thoughts.

She had been rubbing her forehead when Matt approached her and she didn't appear to notice him at first.

"He's finished…"

She still didn't look at him until he put his hand on her shoulder and then she turned her head towards him. Her face etched with pain and a bunch of other emotions.

"I wanted to kill him…just like I wanted to kill Semour," she said, "I could have easily done that…if I hadn't been so focused on getting away from him and that place."

He rubbed her back, and he felt her muscles relax somewhat and her head tilt slightly towards him.

"We're going to get him and the rest of them…"

She narrowed her head and tried to breathe through it.

"When….we've been here for days running around doing all kinds of crazy things to end this nightmare," she said, "and we're nowhere to getting justice for the women who are lying dead out there where their families can't even find them."

He couldn't deny what she had told him. It could have just as easily been here out there and the thought that hit him then made him suck in his breath because the pain that hit him…he had to push it away because the reality of anything besides the woman who stood next to him, he couldn't, wouldn't accept…never.

"Come on…let's head back to the house…"

And so they had, the four of them and Rhonda and Fran had gone to their bedrooms and had just hit the sack so tired from it all. C.J. and Matt had stood in the hallway separating their bedrooms and she bit her lip, knowing she had a decision to make. And then she realized soon enough that it had already been made and she pulled him into her embrace and kissed him, his own arms wrapping around her, pulling her against him. She didn't know how they would sort out their relationship which had gotten so tangled up in the past week but she decided to deal with that when they were back in L.A. In the meantime…she couldn't be apart from him. She just needed him so much to erase what had been…what could have happened and to erase what other men had tried to turn her into for a while.

Matt understood that on a fundamental level and their lovemaking had offered them an escape for a while. Away from the world around them and as long as it were just the two of them…she could face each day as it came. Get up in the morning, get dressed and do what needed to be done, without having to worry about getting her heart broken. At least not for now, because the future just seemed a couple steps out of their reach until they finished what they had to do here. She curled up in his arms afterward, her breathing matching his own as he kissed her shoulder, whispering words that didn't have much to do with what they meant but the underlying emotion they conveyed which after all, needed no words.

She settled in the warmth of his embrace right now and closed her eyes.

Matt lay there with his own eyes closed his attention on the woman in his embrace. She had nodded off well after…and he had closed his own eyes and while he hadn't slept, he had held onto her so that she could. He sensed the exhaustion that ran through her, the adrenalin rush that seemed unending as her life remained upside down. He knew from his own experience as a fugitive for a murder he hadn't committed the isolation that could be anyone's undoing.

She had always been beautiful, pretty at first in a coltish way and then when she had blossomed during their stint at university, she had attracted many guys, a few which had become boyfriends. He had watched from afar, his own social circle keeping him quite busy, at her beauty grow. He had been tempted during the more quietly spent nights at what exactly he wanted from his relationship with his best friend but he hadn't really been able to answer that question…because when he had been tempted and had drifted off to sleep thinking he might just…well when his eyes opened in the morning, his earlier thoughts appeared more like a dream. Besides, she had never gone after him at all, and the few times when their platonic friendship threatened to erupt into something more, she had pulled the reins on it, reminding him that it just wasn't like that between the two of them and that she valued their friendship too much to blow on a fling.

But now that they had pretty much blown their relationship right out of the water in a manner of speaking, it had been everything that he had anticipated and much more. He didn't do as she had feared, viewed it as another one of his casual flings, but he had been at a loss of how to see it, knowing that both of them had been thrown together by the circumstances of the past week. After all, if this mess hadn't happened, would they be sharing the same bad, intertwined in each other's arms? He doubted it.

He didn't want to think about it, to analyze it because he knew that the woman who know slept in his arms would do that enough for the both of him. It being the lawyer inside her that would direct that behavior. He on the other hand…he had thrown out joking words to hide his own ambiguous feelings like the day of the frog jumping contest.

But what would happen now, he knew no matter how much he wanted…that when the day came that they solved the case here, caught the bad guys, ceased to be fugitives and went home, that some serious decision making awaited the both of them and at this point…he didn't know what would happen.

He sighed, taking in the scent of C.J.'s shampoo and her skin that had felt so smooth beneath his touch. He just wanted to focus on this moment between them right now and for as long as he would be able to do so, keeping the future and all it held at bay for a while longer.

With that decided, he finally joined the woman who meant more to him than anyone in slumber.


	52. Chapter 52

**Six months later…**

C.J. sat in her office working on a file that she had to submit to the clerk of the courts the following morning. She had been so focused on working on the 10 page motion that she had lost track of time. Chris had walked in earlier asking her if she had wanted to order takeout, Thai, Chinese or sandwiches from the Deli down the street. She had just gazed up at the blonde woman in a daze and after a long moment, voted for Thai.

All this work had been a godsend for her, helping her to escape from the present, to stop thinking about what had happened in the past few days. Matt's erstwhile girlfriend from a case he had solved not too long ago had wandered back into his life and they had picked up their romantic relationship where they had left off. It made no rhyme or reason to C.J. since Matt hadn't seen particularly attached to the soft spoken redhead. But right now, they were out having dinner in Chinatown after having spent the day out on his yacht sailing around the harbor.

It seemed clear to C.J. that her best friend had fallen in love. The realization of that had sent shards of pain into her heart when she realized that Matt might have indeed found the one that he had been looking for when he had decided that casual relationships and one-night stands weren't doing it for him anymore.

Not long after the two of them had finally returned home freed from the nightmare that had ensnared them both in some remote county in Arizona. They had returned to their busy lives and had tried to put that mess behind them, only in the process that had included their passionate interlude that began when she still had no memory of her own identity. By the time she had recovered from her amnesia, she hadn't cared one bit that she and Matt had breached the boundaries of their lifelong platonic friendship and had engaged in their affair.

Not until she returned to L.A. and the barrage of memories had hit her full tilt and she had to struggle to reclaim her life that she thought had been lost forever. He had pulled her into his arms for a kiss at the end of their first workday and at first she had gone with it, reveling in his embrace until something inside her felt smothered and she had pulled away from him. When he asked for an explanation, no words came from inside her, just a tangled bunch of emotions; some so raw they made her gasp with their intensity. She didn't understand it at all and no one could help her with making sense of what had been happening to her.

So she told him she couldn't be with him that way anymore and in the process, it had dissolved into an argument between the two of them that they both had walked away from angry and confused. They had made peace a couple of contemplative days later but she told him that she wanted things to be the way they were before they had crossed that line. And after looking into her eyes, he had agreed and so they had put that episode of their lives behind them.

Only she had found it nearly impossible to forget. The softness of his mouth against her own, the scent of his cologne on her skin, his touch…it made her close her eyes when the memories hit, the ones she had to push away.

Matt had gone back to his social activities and had a couple of girlfriends, none of them all that serious until Elizabeth. And when that relationship had intensified with her return, C.J. had been shocked. Rumors were that he would be asking Elizabeth to marry him soon and she didn't know how she felt about that so she had buried herself in her work.

That and having to go to Arizona and testify in a hearing as a witness in the prostitution ring prosecution weighed heavily on her mind. When the investigations had been completed on what exactly happened in Bannon County, grand juries had convened in secrecy and indictments had been issued by all the surviving principals in that scandal. Charges ranging from forcing women into prostitution, sexual assault to multiple counts of murder in connection with the 25 women who had been identified at that point. The sheer size of what had been revealed had knocked the breath out of C.J. as well as Fran and Rhonda who were trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. In the months that passed although she had been very busy in her own life, she had kept in close touch with the two women who had become like sisters to her when all three of them had first been captives and then fugitives.

Roy came in with a stack of papers.

"Chris left these but you don't have to sign them all," he said, "Matt will be in tomorrow to finish them up."

The older man didn't have to tell her that Matt was out with Elizabeth, their romance having picked up steam in the past few days.

"I guess it's getting serious between the two of them," C.J. said, "He's hinting that he won't be as involved with his investigative firm."

"He's not going to give it up," Roy said, "he's just focusing on other areas of his life right now."

She definitely knew that and she knew why, and that was because during his life, Matt had hungered so much for a family of his own especially after Bill had passed away. He had been raised from the cradle to value family above all including business and he had told her often enough that he had wanted a wife and children of his own some day. Just like she had harbored the same dreams for herself and for a time, both of them had seemed content to place them somewhere in the future, not too distant but just far enough so they could accomplish their dreams with their investigative firm.

"I know and I'm happy for him… It's just…"

She couldn't tell him, because he didn't know that during their run from the law in Arizona, she and Matt had become a lot closer than their friendship had allowed. Maybe he suspected something had changed between them when they both had returned to L.A. after the final arrest had been made in the case largely due to the work of the four of them. They didn't know whether or not this man had been the kingpin but figured if not, they had gotten close enough. At any rate, the prostitution ring had been busted and the surviving women had been sent home after giving detailed statements.

After breaking off with Matt, C.J .had tried to meet other men, to build relationships with them but she would find someone nice, great looking and want to get to know them better but after a couple of dates, she would opt out by telling them that she didn't want to see them anymore. And she didn't know why because she had really believed with each man that she had found someone and something special but when the issue of intimacy arose, that's when she shied away.

It didn't seem fair at all that Matt had been able to walk away from what they had shared so easily and her…she struggled to move on with her life. She didn't know when she would stop doing that but she would just fight harder to do that with the next man and if not him…the next.

"You are thinking about going home soon?"

She looked up at him and shrugged.

"I'm almost done here but then I have to figure out how to schedule my workload around testifying next month."

He sighed.

"Matlock will help you with that…"

"He's too busy right now with Elizabeth and I don't want to bother him."

Roy looked at the young woman in front of him and heard the pain in her voice, interlaced with what he knew was love for his nephew. He didn't know what had happened between two of the most important people in his life but clearly something had changed. Only it had left at least one of them feeling damaged. He was going to have a little talk with his nephew but he knew that C.J. was right in terms of his focus being elsewhere…on another woman.

C.J. just smiled at him.

"Thanks Roy, but I will be okay," she said, "Really."

* * *

Matt held the box in his hand before slipping it back in his pocket. He had been waiting all through dinner for just the right moment, the perfect time to ask Elizabeth the most important question in his life. He hoped when he did, he would receive the answer he wanted. When she had dropped by his office after they had spent several months apart, she had fallen back into his arms and his life so seamlessly. It must be love and he must be in love with her to feel that way, differently than he had felt about any other woman.

Except…but no that door had been shut and there was no wishing it were any differently. He had moved forward with his life, perhaps one step behind his best friend who seemed in a hurry to do so but now it seemed like everything had come together…at last. If she agreed to marry him, they would keep the engagement short and get married as soon as possible. Her family likely would oppose it but they had been pushed to the fringes of her life. She would find a new family with him and he with her and then life would be glorious…wouldn't it be?

They had fallen back into bed with each other too and the sex had been great which had helped him not to think so hard about what could have been. Elizabeth needed him, she needed his attention and that appealed to him, to know that he was the center of someone's life. Everything seemed perfect…except for some misgivings she had expressed about his choice of careers, the danger, the unpredictability and most importantly, whether he would be able to put his job aside and enjoy a personal life away from it.

That had been the one question she had asked when just after dessert, he had popped the question. She had been shocked but happily so but she didn't answer at first citing her main concern about having to compete with his career for him.

"Will you be able to do that my dear Matlock?"

He hadn't thought about it all that much before he answered.

"Of course darling…There will be plenty of time to spend together."

She had smiled and seemed a bit relieved upon hearing that and his heart had lightened. But in the back of his mind, he thought of someone else…how would she take news of his engagement when she heard it. No C.J. would be happy for him because she would want him to be happy and marrying Elizabeth would make him very happy indeed.

It had to because he couldn't think otherwise as they sat at the table mapping out their future together over crème Brule.

* * *

C.J. had gone home and Matt had left a message on her answering machine about needing to discuss something with her but she didn't need to ask him what. In her heart, she already knew that Matt had proposed to Elizabeth and she had accepted. She had gone home, taken a glass of wine to drink while she soaked in the tub.

She tried not to think about what she had shared with him hundreds of miles away from her, but her skin tingled remembering the sensations that he had generated while he loved her. Because she knew now that was what he had done, but now he loved another woman and she had to move on with her own life.

She got out of the tub and after drying her body, she wrapped herself in her favorite robe when the phone rang.

She picked it up and static greeted her.

"Who is this?"

No one answered but she heard what sounded like someone breathing.

"Who's calling me?"

This time the voice, deep and gravely said something to her.

"If you testify in court next month, you're a dead woman…."


	53. Chapter 53

Another installment up, hope you can read this, lol! Thanks for reading and the feedback which is very helpful!

* * *

The two of them stood outside the motel looking out into the setting sun that cast the sky full of intriguing mixtures of oranges, yellows and rosy pinks accentuated by an occasionally passing puff of white to mar the perfection of the clear sky. C.J. loved sunsets, but she really didn't want to be looking out at this one, no matter how captivating its beauty.

Matt didn't look like he wanted to be there either even as he stood by her side. They had to drop everything on a dime this morning, cancel appointments, postpone a stakeout and put on hold a bridal shower for his fiancée Elizabeth who right now sat in his beach house awaiting his return.

He had just gotten off the phone with her, disappointing her with the news that he and C.J. couldn't catch a late night flight due to a bomb threat at Phoenix International Airport which grounded all flights.

"Who would want to blow up that airport," Elizabeth had asked him.

He just explained to her as patiently as he could that there was no rhyme or reason to people intent on terrorizing people. The airport had done the right thing by evacuating the airport and grounding all the flights until at least the morning. Now he gazed at the woman next to him, lost in her own thoughts because she had been so sure that she would have been testifying this afternoon in a courtroom about what had happened to her the last time she had spent time in a different corner of Arizona. But the prosecutor had told her at the courthouse that there had been a mistrial and they would be starting over in several weeks.

Which of course meant she had to drop everything at some point to fly to Phoenix and do all the emotional gearing up she had to do to prepare to walk up to the witness stand in front of those who had traumatized her and tell her story. She had prepared herself for this; she had written out parts of what she wanted to say and left other portions of her account inside her head unable to put them to paper. She had even practiced in front of her mirror several times, keeping her eyes straight and daring herself not to flinch even a little bit lest the men sitting at either table would view her as weak and ineffectual.

And she had packed her overnight bag this morning on a moment's notice and she and Matt had flown out to LAX on his helicopter to fly out on his Lear jet to where she needed to go to bring this chapter of her life to its close.

Elizabeth hadn't liked any of it of course. She had still lay there in bed at the beach house and asked Matt why he had to leave so quickly, even as he had showered and dressed. When he had been adjusting his tie, she had poured them both some coffee and asked when he would return.

He looked at her then and said when they were finished in Arizona. But even as he said that he knew that he and C.J. had left another part of them in that state already. Leaving pieces of their lives seemed to be quite ordinary for them these days, including the most important piece of all.

Brick, one of his top pilots on call, flew them both on the short jaunt to Phoenix International while both of them had sat in the cabin catching up on the work that they were supposed to be doing back in L.A. She read through some legal briefs marking them with her proofer and he sat using the onboard computer to finalize a contract to send back to Murray on the latest merger acquisition after C.J. had a chance to legalize it of course. They hadn't talked very much and when he had looked over at her, he had seen her head bent, haloed by her mahogany hair, her eyes intent on her work.

While watching her, he had been reminded of how things had been the last time they had been in Arizona and on the run, trying to sift through puzzling clues and a chain of bizarre events to solve a case that would set her free. That would bring them both back home to pick up their lives where they left off.

But things had been a little complicated because emotions had been overflowing and passion had erupted between them and they had shared that together instead of running away like they usually did right up to the night before they had left to go back to L.A. Their first night celebrating the end of their nightmare had led to one of the most wonderful times of his life, happiness had filled him while they came together but it had been etched with sadness when he had felt her begin to pull away from him even as they lay together spent.

And back in L.A. they had ended their affair and disappeared into their busy and increasingly separate lives. He had spent most of his time with Roy traveling all over solving cases, finding missing people including his cousin which had been so damn special, but it had broken his heart as well. He had flown home with his uncle from their harrowing adventure physically exhausted and emotionally so ripped apart inside, as the immense joy had intertwined with crushing pain.

And when she had picked him up at the airport, she had understood in a heartbeat how much he had needed her then. She had wrapped her arms around him, not minding the stale cigarette smoke that clung to him and a week of time spent in the bleakest of conditions. And then she had kissed him right there, channeling a week filled with worry, sadness over Too Mean and happiness to have three members of her family come back safely.

So they had gotten his things, rushed back to his beach house and spent the night in each other's arms forgetting the promises they had made to each other to put it behind them. It had only been that one night and in the morning she had made them both breakfast, he had kissed her tenderly that one last time and they had made plans for the rest of the weekend that fit the parameters of their relationship better.

But damn as he looked at her now, he remembered the intensity of the emotions that had exploded once they were behind four walls away from the rest of the world. He had never known the completeness that he felt in her embrace and the emotions and sensations they had shared still lingered.

Elizabeth had wandered rudely into the aftermath of that and he had fallen for her so quickly, he wondered now if he hadn't just been lost. He had mulled over that somewhat when she had gone back to sort out the mess with the tangled branches of her family tree.

And when she had come back, it had been easy enough to slip back into her arms and the headiness of her return had continued straight to him asking her to marry him. C.J. had been strangely distant and in the background when Elizabeth had returned but he hadn't really paid much attention to it at the time.

Not as much as he needed to as it turned out when he saw her now standing next to him, trying to draw her breath in to focus on the beauty of the sunset and not her own disappointment.

"I really thought this was going to be it," she said finally, "that I was going to go up to the witness stand and tell my story, maybe be cross-examined into trying to get me to take it back…but then we'd be home by nighttime."

He gazed over at her, that had been the plan but obviously some twisted mind out there had his or her own plans shutting the airport down, and leaving thousands stranded in this oasis in the middle of the desert.

Which right now felt anything but a place to relax, because the way he felt right now he was about to jump out of his skin.

She had swallowed up her disappointment at the prosecutor's news and they had picked up some food at a Tex Mex restaurant before heading back to the hotel where she changed into her swimsuit and dipped into the impressive sized pool to swim some laps to burn off her excess energy and frustration. After she had enough, she pulled herself out of the pool and lay on her towel to soak up some of the late afternoon sun. The beads of water drying off of her body while he had come out to check on her after spending an hour on the phone to Murray calming him down. The president of his conglomerate at busted a cog after being informed that Matt and C.J. would be a little late returning home which necessitated the postponement of an important meeting.

Then he had to deal with Elizabeth and disappointment proved to be too mild of a word to use when describing how she felt from the news. She asked him about the hotel, whether it was nice but one question remained unasked between them, which was the sleeping arrangements involving him and his best friend. Elizabeth didn't know about the brief affair they had before she came into his life and he felt no need to tell her. But he knew that she sensed the undercurrent that remained between them even as she had accepted his proposal and begun the wedding preparations.

"Houston, I think I'm ready for some dinner," C.J. said finally, drawing her light jacket closer around her.

It shaped her form nicely, the same one he had held onto when she shared that with him. She left him and went inside their suite into the bedroom she had staked out for herself to grab her purse. He followed and they left the room to go down to the steakhouse that stood just down the street on the strip.

The phone started ringing after they left.

* * *

Matt watched her as she ate her steak and potatoes, wondering if the threats that she had received had stopped. She had mentioned that she had received several calls very reluctantly after he had confronted her after she had received one at the office. She tried to water them down when telling him, he knew that but he had arranged for some men from his security arm to keep a close eye on her.

"The steak's delicious," she said, chewing it thoughtfully.

"Fresh off the range," he answered, "That's what the cook told me."

Matt had once owned a chain of hotels but had sold them to an international company before this one had even been built.

She remained silent for a while until he finally tried to break it by asking her what was up. She gazed at him thoughtfully before responding.

"I…I just hate having to come back here and then going home," she said, "I wanted this to be the last them so I could move on…just like you have with Elizabeth."

"C.J…"

She shook her head.

"No I am happy for you to have found someone so special like her," she said, "I'm glad that you'll have a good life with her, really but…"

He heard the catch in her voice.

"C.J. nothing's going to change for us…I'll still be your best friend…"

She shook her head again more slowly.

"Houston…how can you say that," she said, putting her fork down, "Everything's changed, you know that."

She meant what they had shared but she had been the one to decide to pack it up and leave it to their memories.

"I almost thought…"

Then she stopped in her tracks and even raising his brows to prod her to continue didn't work. He sensed she held something back from him, something important but she didn't seem to think she could share it with him. Was it due to his engagement and approaching wedding, or was it something else?

Something dragged at him too, digging deeply into his heart even as he counted down the days until his wedding. When they returned back to L.A. they would be making the final preparations. C.J. had agreed to stand by him in the ceremony though he could see the emotional cost of such a decision on her face. He knew that she was genuinely happy for him but her eyes appeared saddened as well. He wanted her so much to be happy like he had been since Elizabeth returned…but still something nagged at him, something jagged like a blade sticking straight into his heart trying to get his attention.

"What is it…C.J….why don't you tell me?"

She looked away, and then reached for her wine glass taking a long sip, slowly swallowing it. He watched her thinking, knowing she had dipped someplace deep inside of her even if he didn't know what.

Sighing, she looked up at him and her face looked troubled.

"I should have told you earlier…"

His blood froze.

"Is anything wrong, please tell me what's going on?"

She shook her head.

"No…everything's just fine really," she said, "It's just that…a few weeks ago…when you got that phone call from Elizabeth that she had settled affairs with her family…I…"

She hesitated and he pressed gently.

"What, you can tell me…"

She looked down at her hands before she looked up at him again.

"It was right after the night you came home with Will and Roy and without…"

"Too Mean…it still bothers me that we had to leave him behind…"

"He'd understand Houston…but when I saw you, everything I thought I knew and I had said…it went out the window…I just had to…well you know."

Yes he did, she had made the moves on him first back at the beach house but he had taken the ball and ran with it as some might put it.

"C.J. I don't regret that night at all…only that it ended."

She smiled at the wistful tone that still lived in his voice.

"Afterward…some weeks went by and I…well I was…late…"

His eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"Late…were you…."

She shook her head.

"No I thought maybe but I took some tests and they were negative," she said, "I'm not pregnant…and if I were, I would have told you…"

He knew that she would have done that but he wished he had been there with her before she found that out, knowing that it must have been difficult.

"I wish you told me…"

"There was no reason to tell you…the test was negative."

"Still I would have liked to know…so you wouldn't have been alone."

She smiled and reached for his hand, taking it in her own.

"I know that…but it all worked out…especially with Elizabeth coming back and you two getting married."

He knew he should have been thinking about that but all he could envision was C.J. carrying his child and wanting so much to share that with her…and then guilt filled him because he should be harboring those dreams with his fiancée Elizabeth.

"I just want us to always share what we have," she said, "To be best friends forever…I know that sounds sentimental but you matter to me more than anyone."

He squeezed her hand.

"You do too," he said, "and like I said, nothing will change…except we'll be even better friends."

She smiled at him, believing in the sincerity of his words and they finished dinner before heading back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before returning to L.A.

And a wedding that would be taking place in a short time. But as it so often turns out, life had other plans.


	54. Chapter 54

Another installment is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt shot the whiskey down his throat, one glass after another while sitting in his office. He had started drinking about two hours ago after Elizabeth had walked away from him for the last time after they had mutually and somewhat painfully decided to end their engagement.

C.J. had come across him sometime during his second hour of drinking and had poured herself a glass of wine and joined him.

"Want to talk about it?"

He turned and looked at her fingering his glass.

"Not much to talk about," he said, "Elizabeth and I broke up."

C.J. had figured as much. After all, she had known they would before he did, knew that the reality of his profession and all it brought would clash with Elizabeth's dreams for a husband who kept to a regularly predictable schedule and would be sitting at the breakfast table in the morning, the dining room at night and would call in to check on her during the noon hour.

But Matt didn't live that kind of life and neither did she and when Elizabeth realized that not long after a psycho killer had broken up the proceedings, she had tearfully expressed her concerns to Matt and said she couldn't handle that part of his life. C.J. could sympathize to a point; after all she had been where Elizabeth had been. Holding the man she loved in her embrace and willing more time to spend with him, only to see it end.

"I know you love her Houston…but sometimes that's just not enough."

It hadn't been enough to keep Carl alive after his body had been so badly broken by the car that hit him the one driven by the maniacal man stalking her. She had even gone to the hospital chapel to pray for his life only to find the surgeon waiting for her when she returned, just shaking his head simply after removing his face mask.

Massive internal injuries…unstoppable hemorrhaging…shock…cardiac arrest…she had closed out everything beyond those words. Too Mean had come in while Hoyt had been tactfully telling her that the death she suspected had been murder had been just a tragic accident. The truth had come out after her stalker had put Too Mean in the hospital leaving her at his mercy until Matt intervened.

But she had been careful herself not to love after that…until Robert…no she didn't want to go there right now. She had to deal with what was in front of her.

He didn't say anything for a while as she sat next to him quietly, but he stopped drinking whisky.

* * *

The days passed and then became weeks and Matt recovered from his crushing disappointment and he came in the office after a week of soulful reflection behind the wheel of a car driving up to Santa Barbara, riding horses on a bluff overlooking the ocean and taking a boat out to cruise the coastline. Then he had started working again, putting in a lot of time at the office and C.J. had joined him because their caseload had backed up during the wedding preparations.

Then the phone call came that she had to return back to Phoenix to try another round of testifying against the kingpins of the prostitution ring that had ensnared her.

"I don't know if I'm going to be ready for this," she said, "Each time we go, there's this big buildup and we get there, wait around a while and then we head back to L.A. only to wait for the next phone call."

He looked up from the wet bar where he took out some nice cold beers for them to drink with their pizza delivery from Wolfgang Pucks.

"It's going to be okay you know," he said, "Your day in court will come. There's no way these creeps are going to get continuances forever."

"Forever's a long time," she said, "but what about 5-10 years?"

Surely it wouldn't be that long, he thought, maybe this time would be it. But then that would bring its own host of problems. Like getting through hours of testimony on the stand not to mention cross examination, he knew that as one of the primary witnesses, she would be sitting in that chair for a long time. But she wouldn't be there alone.

He sat down and patted the spot next to him.

"Come here…the pizza's getting cold."

She did so happily because it did smell great and Matt looked happier than she had seen him in a while. Maybe that meant that he would be truly ready to move forward. She dipped in to grab a slice of her favorite and damn, did it taste wonderful. Succulent and filled with different flavors including herbs and spices, she thought impulsively reaching for another piece.

"I thought that would get your attention."

She tilted her head.

"I guess I'd better go home early and pack," she said, "We're leaving at 6 right?"

Bright and early, and he had already arranged for a pilot to fly so they could relax in the cabin together. There would be breakfast to eat and a comfortable setting for her to emotionally prepare herself.

"Yeah…I already made reservations for us at our favorite spot."

Yeah…the hotel where they had already played this waiting game several times, which hopefully wouldn't be the case this time.

She smiled at him for his thoughtfulness because she had been too frazzled to think about the finite details of this sojourn they took nearly on a monthly basis. She felt badly that it had interrupted his life as it had hers.

But hopefully, this time would be the last time and they could finally put this chapter to rest.

* * *

The Lear Jet flow smoothly through the sky, which bore none of the clouds that had been reported around Phoenix, due to the turbulent weather front that had been moving towards the area and promised to drop rain and possibly thunder as well.

C.J. hoped that the weather would hold until they reached the hotel at least and could relax, after hearing from the prosecutor about whether the testimony would go forward as planned. She really hoped that this time would be it, time to tell her story and defend it if need be.

The breakfast of Belgium waffles and eggs had been delicious and she had really needed the food, not to mention plenty of hot coffee. Afterward she lay back her armrest and with her head against a pillow, she tried to read a novel, anything to get her mind off of what might happen especially if the trial had gotten started. Matt had turned towards some paperwork that Murray had of course faxed him from Tokyo probably because he had been attending different business meetings and seminars in the Far East lately and then checking in with what happened or what he had learned.

Matt looked up at her laying there in her comfortable clothing of faded jeans and a long sleeve shirt made out of cotton. She would change to her more formal court attire if need be back at the hotel if she had to testify that afternoon. But he liked looking at her the way she appeared right now, her eyes focused on what she was reading, and her face relaxed. He knew that she needed this time to not think about what she might have to do.

He got out of his seat to go talk to the pilot who told him they were right on schedule and that the weather might just hold up in time for them to land and park the jet in the private hanger reserved for it. Just in case the weather got really bad, liked the clouds started tossing hail stones and even lightning bolts around.

When he went back, she was just returning from getting herself a soda.

"I need it to keep awake," she said, "I didn't sleep much last night."

Neither did he. All he could think about was how much he hoped this flight out to Arizona would be the final trip they would make there at least on this case.

They reached the hotel to settle in just in time because the skies had darkened up and the breeze picked up and carried a couple raindrops which struck their faces. Not cold, actually quite warm and they headed up to their suite. She threw the bags in the main living area between the bedrooms and just sat on the couch to catch her breath.

"You want something to eat from room service?"

She thought about it, but her stomach tumbled from nerves.

"Maybe a snack…something light," she said.

He nodded and placed the order while she checked her cell phone and saw the prosecutor's phone number so she returned that call. Matt returned to sit next to her on the sofa.

"Okay…then I guess I'll see you at nine sharp tomorrow…at the courthouse… thanks…I'll try…Bye."

Matt waited for her to hang up and look up at him.

"So tomorrow's the big day?"

She just nodded.

"Yeah…it's finally here…and I don't know what I'm going to say."

He sighed thoughtfully, wanting to say a lot of things but settling for just a few words for now.

"Why don't we go do something fun…"

She looked at him, her brow furrowed.

"Like what," she asked, "It's pouring outside…or it will be…plan on going sailing?"

He smiled at her.

"No…I was thinking something indoors."

"That might work…but what?"

He smiled more broadly.

"Come on…I'll show you…"

She looked at him dubiously, but she got up from her seat.

"We'll pack that room service to go okay?"

* * *

Oh she liked this, as Matt deftly swung his golf club and his ball went flying until smack, it hit the windmill. She looked at him shaking her head.

"Houston, I don't think the ball is supposed to leave the green…you might have to dial down your stroke a bit."

He looked at her trying to play at being miffed.

"Excuse me C.J. but I've never had anyone tell me to do that before on or off the golf course."

She just opened her mouth but didn't take the obvious bait.

"I'm just trying to help because you're like 10 strokes over par and we're only halfway through the course."

"And you…you're getting eagles like no one's business," he said, "I never knew you were into golf…you should think about taking it up."

"Houston, that's really not my scene…not enough exercise…"

He tried to swing the club to hit the ball past the rotating beam.

"Houston…"

Both of them suddenly hit the deck as the ball bounced off the Eiffel Tower replica and came flying back at them. He placed his hand on her shoulder as they watched the ball narrowly miss the saloon.

"A girl needs quick reflexes around you…"

He smiled but his hand moved off her shoulder and began stroking her hair.

"Oh I can slow things down a bit…"

And that's when he kissed her. His lips brushing against hers so nicely, a hint of his cologne reaching her and she put her hand on his face and drew him even closer. Finally they pulled apart and both fluttered their eyes a little bit.

"Wow…"

"Yeah…," she agreed, as he helped her up.

He looked at her.

"I missed you a lot…"

She brushed herself off and picked up her club.

"I missed you too but I'm still going to kick your ass on this course."

Oh he had no doubt about that.

* * *

After she won the miniature golf championship, he took her out to dinner back at the hotel which had that steakhouse they both liked so much. It made coming to Arizona a little better to have their favorite food prepared for them so all they had to do was to sit down and enjoy it.

She ate her steak happily, the fun of the day putting the ordeal tomorrow someplace in the future still. He ordered them both some wine and she sipped it thoughtfully, thinking about how much she had really missed him despite playing it lightly earlier. The past year, she had rethought her decision to break things off with him and she hadn't regretted it because it had been necessary at the time in order for her to do what she needed to do and then he had found…what she had been so sure had been the love of his life.

But life had different plans as it turned out, giving out that second chance…and she looked at him enjoying his dinner and the wine and she made her decision.

"Houston…"

He stopped eating and looked up at her.

"What…something wrong with the food?"

She shook her head.

"No…I just wanted to tell you I had a good time today…it helped me forget."

"C.J…tomorrow's going to come but you'll get through it and I'll be right there."

She nodded this time.

"I know that…but we've still got a little while until then…"

He looked up at her.

"Okay…how would you like to spend that time?"

She bit her lip as she paused.

"Houston, this isn't easy for me to say…"

She stopped to collect herself and he wondered if he had done something wrong or to upset her but they had just spent a wonderful day together and that kiss…well he wouldn't take it back even if he could or saying that he had really missed her.

"Then just take a deep breath and say it."

She did and rubbed the bridge between her eyes.

"I…think I'm in love with you…no scratch that, I know I am…I don't know how you feel about that but I thought I'd put it on the table…"

He looked at her speechless. Oh she knew she had blown it as soon as the first words slipped out but she couldn't figure out that expression in his eyes, she hadn't seen it before in all the words she had known him.

"I…why are you looking at me like that," she asked.

He smiled then and in the way she loved, the way that made her insides curl up.

"Because the most beautiful woman in the world just told me that she loved me," he said, "I'm kind of wondering what else she has up her sleeve."

Her mouth quirked.

"You could find out…but you better watch yourself…you might like it."

"I already know I'll love it," he said, "like I love her."

She smiled and put her napkin down.

"I'm ready to go take this party upstairs."

So was he.


	55. Chapter 55

Another installment of this FF is up, thanks for the feedback and for reading.

* * *

She looked up straight faced at the lawyer from where she sat on the witness stand. All eyes including those of the judge and jury were on her and what she had to tell the court.

About her experiences being kidnapped by sheriff deputies and forced into prostitution, about how she had resisted sexual assaults from two different men, both elected to high positions of power, one of them now deceased.

At least she had been cleared of that murder and the real killer hadn't been included as a defendant in this trial which targeted the former sheriff Butz and his other conspirators to commit kidnapping, sexual assaults, forcing women into prostitution and of committing or aiding and abetting in the commission of two dozen murders. The victims officially recognized in this case had been the only women whose identities had been uncovered through fingerprint checks and dental records in several of the cases. Some of the families who had loved ones who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and wound up missing received closure by being able to put the remains of those they lost in marked grave inside cemeteries. But for a larger number of women, their remains didn't provide any clues which would leave to them being identified, not that the forensic specialists had given up on finding those answers.

"So you went into that bar for help," the prosecutor asked, "and what you found was some lowlifes taking advantage of women down on their luck or even injured like yourself…"

"Objection," the defense attorney barked not for the first time, "leading..."

The judge sighed and then considered the ruling.

"Sustained…rephrase your question into an actual questions…"

She sipped from the glass of water that she had poured for herself before her testimony started and looked at the prosecutor for the next questioning. She had been on the stand for nearly an hour and cross-examination hadn't even started and she knew without being prepped by the prosecutor that would be the most difficult part of her testimony. In order to represent his client diligently, the defense attorney, in this case a young woman, would paint her as a confused delusional woman and try to cast aspirations on her sexual history both past and during her time in the detention center.

She looked out and saw Matt sitting there in the courtroom in front of the media which had shown up full force. She had hoped they would have forgotten all about it but they had been closely following the scandal turned criminal prosecution for over a year, the only one she really recognized was Sheila who had gotten a nice job working for a newspaper in Phoenix based on her earlier coverage and expose over what had really been going on in some backwash corner of Arizona.

C.J. smiled as she saw him, remembering how it had felt to wake up in his embrace this morning realizing that was where she belonged. She hadn't known how much she had missed sharing that with him until last night when they had reached the hotel room. As it turned out, he couldn't wait picking her up in his arms and carrying her over the threshold before they dissolved into one of the most blissful nights of her life. As they came down from their incredible emotional and physical high, their bodies still intertwined, he had told her how much he loved her, and how he had for a long time. She had shed some tears and had told him the same back, how difficult it had been to watch him nearly marry Elizabeth, to just let him do what he felt he wanted to do without telling him the truth about her own feelings.

And as dawn broke casting a stream of light through their window, he had asked her to marry him.

"I don't have anything prepared…no ring…but I don't want to live without you in my life…if it were up to me, I'd land the plane in Vegas and make it official…but I know you want a ceremony…"

She kissed him then, pulling him closer to her, before she chuckled in his ear.

"Oh don't be silly…you took the words right out of my mouth…Let's get through this and then we'll talk about getting married…because I don't want to wait very longer either."

She had to rush to get ready for court that morning, but he ordered room service to send up two heaping plates of different items on the breakfast menu while she showered and got ready, the nerves remaining at bay until she tried to eat from the impressive spread in front of her. He coaxed her into trying everything at least once…saying she needed her strength for the day ahead.

She tooled her eggs Benedict with her fork.

"I'm just a little nervous...this is the day I get to tell my story…"

"I know but you're going to do so well," he said, "and whenever you get nervous, don't look at the men sitting at the table, look at me."

She nodded slowly.

"Rhonda and Fran have already testified and their accounts are worse than mine."

"Maybe…but it doesn't make yours hurt any less…but when you're done…we'll go do something fun before we head back tomorrow."

She sipped her juice appearing to think about that.

"Okay…you got a deal…how about doing some bowling?"

The rain clouds looked like they might be returning at about the time she finished testifying at least for the day. The prosecutor told her in all likelihood it would only be one day on the stand if they started early but…she might have to return the next day. She nodded in understanding but she hoped it would only be one day.

"So if Sheriff Butz was trying to force you into intercourse why did you let him?"

C.J.'s mouth hung open because she had just testified about how she had tried to fight him with everything she had but he was stronger than her. If she hadn't had the skills that Matt had taught her that amnesia hadn't stolen…if the deputy hadn't interrupted them…she didn't want to think about it.

"I didn't let him…I tried to push against him but he's a strong man and I slapped him when the deputy came in to get him."

"But you then let another man…the late Semour Piser lead you into his bedroom at the ranch…"

She sighed looking up at the defense attorney who had been trying to twist all her words around for the past hour.

"He had me by the arm, I was his for the day, his date I think they called it but I didn't have any choice in the matter like I said…"

"But you still followed him back into his bedroom did you not?"

She struggled to contain her temper.

"I had no choice, other women had died running away and I wanted to live…I didn't even know who I was or what life I had before my time there but I knew enough that I wanted to do whatever it took to stay alive long enough to find my way back…"

The defense attorney nodded thoughtfully.

"Even if it meant having sexual intercourse with him," she asked, not unkindly.

C.J. remained silent for a moment, as the vision of that day had come back in front of her. She had been told by the therapist that she had seen that this might happen and to just center herself by taking deep cleansing breaths which she did while waiting for the words.

"Yes…even if it meant that…"

"So you let him remove your clothing, or you helped him…"

She hadn't stopped him once she knew that it wouldn't help not until…she had done or said something that had angered him and he had put his hands around her throat, to squeeze the life out of her. That's when she had fought back.

"And when he did that, I felt faint, dizzy and my vision blurred so I could barely make out the outlines of his face but he was enraged and I knew I had to fight back…"

"But not when he was touching your breasts and grabbing your swimsuit bottoms with his hands…"

Her breath came harshly for a moment and she tried to remain focused.

"Other women had died refusing his advances…I didn't want to join them…like I said I chose life…"

The questions hadn't lasted longer than that and she had finally been released from testimony, emotionally spent. The prosecutor had smiled and said, good job and he'd inform her on the verdict. She just walked on past the defense's table without even looking at the men sitting there with their attorneys.

Matt got up and quietly joined her and together they walked down the aisle out of the courtroom, his hand resting on her back.

The rain had started to fall as they left the courthouse to head back to the hotel. The heat of the morning had been tempered by the approaching monsoon, which streamed rain outside their window as they lay together on their bed eating takeout pizza while watching comic movies on the television set, the perfect way to celebrate their engagement.

Another chapter of their busy life behind them.


	56. Chapter 56

Wow, this story's finally finished! Hope you enjoyed reading it and thanks for doing so and the feeback!

* * *

They flew back to L.A. the day after she had testified in the trial of the surviving kingpins of the murder and prostitution ring in Bannon County.

Only they stopped overnight in Las Vegas the city of casinos, showgirls and sin…but they partook of none of them heading straight to the wedding chapel after making sure that their marriage license was legit.

A bonafide minister had agreed to marry them after having them fill out a questionnaire and undergoing a short interview. The minister's wife volunteered to be their witness and the bride dressed in a white dress purchased off the rack at a bridal boutique and wearing a small veil pinned to her mahogany hair stood beside her man, dressed up in a blue tux with a clip on tie. She had initially rolled her eyes when he had insisted on getting one but finally had agreed when he pointed out that it was a hell of a lot quicker to remove a clip on tie than a real one.

She raised her brow at him and conceded that point because she wanted some serious time with him back at the hotel…after they hit the poker games for a while at the hotel. He asked her what the stakes would be and she just sucked in her breath right before the organist at the chapel started playing and said that the casino game would be for money and the one upstairs afterward would be for clothing.

He chuckled even though he knew he'd lose all of his before she even doffed one shoe, knowing how expert she had proven to be at the poker table especially five card stud including when they had gone undercover on some of their cases.

"Maybe we should have invited Roy and Will," she said.

He stroked her hair mindful of that veil with rhinestone seeds sown into it.

"We'll have another ceremony when we get back…we'll fly everyone to Santa Barbara like we planned and have it at that church…right next to the chalet."

She sighed believing that to be perfect.

"And that way, we'll have two wedding nights…"

She just slapped him lightly and he headed down to the end of the short little aisle lined with Elvis impersonators, in different shapes, sizes and eras. The minister nodded at the organist and the wedding march played as Matt waited for his bride to meet him…unable to even breathe at the sight.

And so they stayed overnight in the city of sin and flew back the next day…cuddling together in the lounge seat inside the luxury jet. They had drunk some champagne provided by the hotel and some pizza they had picked up on the way.

"So what are you going to do with your winnings?"

She gazed at him, stroking his face.

"The $15,000 in cash or your clothing," she asked.

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"You're the best poker player on this green earth."

She shrugged.

"Well as a wise man once said, if you've got it, you've got it."

He stroked her arm.

"I think we both got it."

She nodded in agreement.

"And that call from the prosecutor about the mistrial doesn't bother you?"

She paused for a moment, sipping her champagne again.

"I thought it would if it happened this way, I worried about it but if I have to do this all over again," she said, "I'll do it for the women who can't."

"They might take the deal this time."

"Maybe…we'll see and I don't want to worry about it," she said, "I want to spend time with my husband…and I want us to be a family, us and our children."

They had both agreed last night to throw caution into the wind and start trying to get that family started and Matt knew that C.J. would always remain haunted by the lives of those women in the desert and how they had been stolen from them. She came out of that with a renewed vigor to live her life to the fullest with the man she loved.

"And Rhonda and Fran have already got together with Chris and the other secretaries to start planning this soiree for us…so we'd better be ready…"

He kissed her on the lips sending the most delightful sensation through her.

"Oh we will be Mrs. Houston…"

AS he drew her into his embrace, she smiled liking the sound of those words and he thought about how much he loved saying them.


End file.
